Hi Bayrock, "MCB said he wanted to kill coal basically ASAP" - I...

Hi Bayrock,

"MCB said he wanted to kill coal basically ASAP" - I agree with you here, except with one small adjustment.
He definitely wants to turn the Australian energy market green as soon as possible. When asked directly when he would shut down coal plants he stated he would do so as soon as they are no longer profitable for the company.

What I think this means:

1. He will immediately build more green electricity production facilities
2. He will run coal plants until they are competitive or reach the end of their lifespan
3. He won't invest to fix damaged or broken coal power plants (think Loy Yang) as he will ignore sunken costs

I think he will kill coal As Soon As practical (from an economic standpoint).

"MCB is tech [...] he does not have a lifetime of specialisation in other fields."
Agreed, and I think he would make a poor CEO of the company due to this. However, I feel he would be a great member of the board thereby having influence over what investments and operations the company controls. He has already stated he wants the board filled with experts in the field who share a similar viewpoint to him - and I believe he will achieve that (be it head hunting within the company, Australia or the international community).

What I think will happen:

1. He will find 3-4 new board members who have expertise in the field
2. These board members will share the same 'greenie' ethics and views as him
3. Within 4 years, one of his head hunted 'friends' will take on the CEO role of the company.

Personally, I like where his head is at on both an economic & ethical stance. If he found someone who shares his views and has a great track record in the energy industry to front the company I would be impressed (and probably buy more).
He might choose to advise the company in big financials, investments and tech developments (think integrated distributed network), but I don't think he will directly oversee the day-to-day operations of the company.