Former CEO of Snowy Hydro, Paul Broad, has described the Australian Government's green energy plans as “bullshit”. 

Scathing comments came in an interview on commercial radio station 2GB, in which Broad claimed that the government would be unable to meet its target of producing 82 per cent of its electricity supplies from renewable sources by 2030. 

Broad cited the difficulties faced by the Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro plant, which he used to oversee, which has been hit by further cost and time blowouts, as evidence of the challenges of building enough green energy to replace retiring coal-fired capacity.

Broad's comments have widened a rift between him and Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who has pointed to a raft of policies the government is rolling out to ensure its target can be met. 

Chief among them is the Rewiring the Nation policy, through which $20 billion will be used to help underwrite high-voltage transmission lines enabling renewable energy projects to be connected to the grid. 

The government is also encouraging investment in firming projects such as batteries and other pumped-hydro plants via a so-called capacity mechanism, while the safeguard mechanism will force companies and big energy users to decarbonise their supplies.

However, Mr Broad remains unconvinced, arguing that the government's renewable energy plans are overly ambitious and could lead to blackouts.

He also questioned the government's plans for the controversial Kurri Kurri gas-fired power plant for the Hunter Valley, arguing that plans to use green hydrogen to drive almost a third of the plant's output were mistaken as the fuel would not be available in sufficient quantities for another 10 to 20 years at the earliest. 

Despite the disagreement, both sides agree that the transition to green energy will be a difficult one, requiring massive changes to the country's energy system.