The council will join a host of other councils and organisations in signing a letter, at Greenpeace’s request, urging the NSW government to ban new coal-fired plants.

The letter said new power stations planned at Bayswater and Mount Piper, if powered by coal, would increase the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 15per cent.

‘‘This is more emissions than the entire NSW transport sector,’’ the letter said.

‘‘It would lock NSW into a fossil-fuel future of increasing power bills and undermine the potential for clean-energy jobs in NSW.’’

Cr Phillipa Parsons said coal power should be phased out.

Modelling had shown that a transition to a renewable-energy economy in the Hunter would create a net gain of jobs, Cr Parsons said.

Mayor Greg Piper said the two new power stations planned for NSW should be gas-fired.

‘‘Gas has not been given a fair opportunity to play a significant role for energy production in NSW,’’ Cr Piper said.

Cr Barry Johnston said gas-fired plants worked only if they were built near gas fields.

Two new power plants in NSW would lead to less efficient plants, such as Munmorah power station, being closed, Cr Johnston said.

Cr Daniel Wallace said problems with gas supply raised questions about energy security.

He said China was building 500 coal plants a year and questioned the relative importance of the two power stations planned in NSW.

Cr Piper supported the continuation of coalmining in the Hunter, saying many economies would rely on the region’s relatively clean coal for a long time.

He said the region’s power stations should be allowed to ‘‘see out their economic lives’’, possibly with further upgrades.