Victorian Liberal MP Dan Tehan has challenged his own side and the Labor Party to get back to the negotiating table and finally agree on a renewable energy target.
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Negotiations between the Coalition government and Labor over the RET have stalled after months of meetings, with the two sides agonisingly close to a deal.
The Coalition initially pushed to slash the RET from 41,000 gigawatt hours of annual renewable energy production by 2020 to 26,000 hours, while Labor had advocated a figure in the mid to high 30,000s.
More recently the two parties have moved closer, with Labor, led by climate spokesman Mark Butler, now backing a figure of 33,500 and the Liberals, led by Environment Minister Greg Hunt and Energy Minister Ian MacFarlane, backing a figure of 32,000.
The RET impasse is expected to be discussed by the federal cabinet in the coming weeks and, in the lead-up to that, business and environment groups have signalled they are prepared to compromise further.
Amid the stalemate, investment in the sector has taken a hit and the number of renewable energy jobs has fallen.
He said: "This has been dragging on too long; there are potentially hundreds if not thousands of jobs at risk. 33,000 gigawatt hours is the feedback I'm getting on what the compromise should be, both from the emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries and from members of the Clean Energy Council."
In a message directed to his own side as much as it is to Labor, Mr Tehan said: "It is time that both sides came together in a bipartisan fashion and resolved this impasse."
Portland Aluminium, based in Mr Tehan's Victorian seat of Wannon, employs about 750 people, while wind farm maker Keppel Prince, also in his electorate, employs about 150.
Mr Tehan said those jobs, and about 1000 associated jobs in his electorate, would be at risk if a compromise was not found.
Clean Energy Council chief executive Kane Thornton said while his organisation had sought 33,500 gigawatt hours as a minimum, the Liberals and Labor should be prepared to compromise if the Liberals move to 33,000.
"If the government can move to 33,000 that would be very welcome and would send a very clear signal to resolve this crisis," he said. "We would hope common sense would then prevail [in Labor]."
