The original Snowy Hydro scheme was built by 100,000 foreign workers, but it's expected version 2.0 will be significantly Australian made.
The best people in the world are needed to build the second version of the scheme, which is unlike anything else in the world, project boss Paul Broad believes.
Contractors won't be required to hire Australians first or use apprentices, but Mr Broad expects a significant number will hire Australians.
Most of the 250 current workers come from local communities, Australian engineers working overseas have been recruited home, and businesses are looking to relocate closer to the site to bid for contracts, the project's managing director and chief executive told a Senate hearing on Tuesday.
But he doesn't see it as a negative if foreign workers are needed.
"We brought over 100,000 people here to build the original scheme; I think we're a better society for having brought them here," Mr Broad said.
The entire project includes drilling 48km of new tunnels on top of the original 225km built between 1949 and 1974.
Further major expansion is also being considered.
If existing base-load power plants including Liddell, Vales Point and Eraring all close by or around 2030 and are replaced by gas or renewables, Snowy 2.0 would reach its capacity.
The business, to be wholly Commonwealth-owned from July, is looking down the track to Snowy 3.0 or Snowy 4.0 which could add 6000MW of additional storage capacity.
