CS Energy has appointed former GLNG chief executive officer Stephen Harty to lead the organisation after what it describes as a year of improved performance for the business.

Mr Harty, who has served as a non-executive director of CS Energy since 2023, will start as chief executive officer on September 28.

Mr Harty (pictured left) brings more than 25 years of experience across operations, project development, marketing and trading in Australia, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America.

He has previously held senior leadership roles with Australia Pacific LNG, ConocoPhillips and Qatargas and led GLNG for the past six and a half years.

“CS Energy plays an essential role in keeping the lights on for Queensland families and businesses, and I am honoured to be asked to lead it,” Mr Harty said.

“My focus will be on the things that matter most: everyone going home safely, running our assets reliably, being transparent and accountable in how we operate, and making a strong contribution to the Queensland economy.

“Having served on the board, I have seen first-hand the effort our people have put into building a safer, better CS Energy. My first job is to get out to our sites, listen to our teams and build on that work with them.”

His move to the CS Energy CEO role will see Tony Bellas resume as chair of CS Energy and Jeff Seeney as deputy chair.

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CS Energy owns and operates the Callide B and Kogan Creek power stations, and has a 50 per cent stake in the Callide C plant as well as holding interests in renewable energy and battery assets. It is developing the 400MW Brigalow peaking power plant next to the Kogan Creek power station. 

The government-owned generating corporation has navigated a rocky period, including the May 2021 explosion at the Callide C station that cut off power to 500,000 homes and a pressure spike in a boiler that led to serious damage last year.

Queensland Energy Minister David Janetzki blamed CS Energy bosses for misleading him over the severity of last year’s incident.

The corporation also copped flak from the previous Labor government over communication regarding maintenance levels at the Callide C plant in the lead-up to the 2021 explosion.

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In announcing Mr Harty’s appointment, CS Energy said it had achieved all nine of its Electricity Maintenance Guarantee targets for FY2026 across personal safety, process safety, maintenance investment and plant performance.

It has completed two major overhauls of the Callide C Power Station generating units on schedule and within budget, and exceeded its summer availability target.