This week the NSW government-owned electricity supplier announced it would slash 71 field and 111 non-field positions from across regional NSW in an effort to "drive efficiencies in our business" and "deliver a better service at lower cost".

Mr Saunders said while it was a "disappointing scenario for all workers", there had been no announcement on the future for Dubbo staff.

READ MORE: Some Essential Energy job losses have been confirmed

"I have been advised from Essential Energy this morning that no final determination has actually been made but employees are being consulted with and that started as of Tuesday," he said.

Mr Saunders said while it may be "gut-wrenching" for staff who lose their job, Essential Energy "is entitled" to slash jobs where required.

"At the end of the day they are a company and all companies are able to make their own decisions on their workforce," he said.

On Wednesday, NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro called for an "immediate stop to any decision by Essential Energy to carry out planned job cuts".

"They are a corporate entity they are not a government organisation so I guess the deputy premier's looking to exert a bit of pressure just to say 'look you need to be thinking about exactly what this means to regional areas given the drought scenario we're in' and I guess that's the pressure he's trying to put back on Essential Energy," Mr Saunders said.

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"As a business I guess they're going through similar type scenarios with needing to rationalise given the situation in regional areas."

Mr Saunders said many workers who will lose their jobs have specialised skills and may find it difficult to obtain alternative work.

"Depending on the work you're doing now, is there that same ability to find the work in another part of the region or can you transfer to another job in your region," he said.

"Anyone who loses a job, and look I've been there as well, it's gut-wrenching, you're not quite sure what you're going to do. If you've been working in a particular area for most of your life and suddenly your job is gone it's a very hard thing to cope with."

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