The Turnbull government faces an uphill battle getting states to sign up to its new energy plan, as Premier Daniel Andrews savaged it as an "unspeakable" trashing of climate science and a capitulation to Tony Abbott's agenda.
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The government will need all the national electricity market states – New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT – to agree to its national energy guarantee in order to implement it.
The plan to force energy companies to meet mandated standards will require changes to state-based legislation.
Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg briefed his state counterparts on Tuesday ahead of a face-to-face COAG meeting planned for late November. But both Premier Andrews and his South Australian counterpart Jay Weatherill have already condemned the "National Energy Guarantee".
Mr Andrews said the plan "junked" the work of Australia's Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, who recommended the clean energy target as part of his landmark review into the nation's energy policy in December.
"It would seem that Alan Finkel has been replaced as the Chief Scientist and that we now have Professor Tony Abbott as the chief scientist," Mr Andrews said.
"I don't think that's a good thing for energy supply, for security of supply, for prices for business and households.
"The Prime Minister needs to stand up ... I'd settle for him pretending to be a leader but he's not even doing that."
"The fact that he's prepared to let Tony Abbott junk Alan Finkel's work, it's unspeakable, it's appalling."
Mr Andrews said the new energy policy would not be successful in what the Commonwealth says is its central aim, to cut retail electricity bills.
"It will not cut household bills, all it will do is continue this conservative climate change-denying inertia that is compromising the amount of energy we have, increasing the price of the energy we have and leading to some of the failure, some of the challenges that we face," the Premier said.
Victorian Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio was even more strident, saying the "backward plan" put thousands of jobs at risk and would shatter investor confidence.
"[Mr Turnbull's] modelling is dodgy and his claims about reducing power prices can't be believed," she said.
"There has been no consultation with the states and we continue to learn about the policy via media leaks. We will closely consider our next steps after receiving the detail that this announcement is sorely lacking."
South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill slammed the plan, and said it proved Mr Turnbull was incapable of standing up to his party's right wing and the fossil fuel sector.
"The Prime Minister is powerless, the Prime Minister is impotent," he said. "This is a complete victory for the coal industry."
Mr Weatherill indicated he was still weighing "going it alone" on a more robust, state-based clean energy target – something the Commonwealth has warned against because it would further fragment the electricity market.
If one or more of the states baulk at the plan the federal government could seek a work-around in the Federal Parliament. But the government believes that while the states will make lots of noise about the plan in the coming days they are ultimately likely to support it.
The conservative NSW government has been more receptive to the plan, saying it was a strong supporter of electricity market reform.
"We welcome the proposal by the federal government to provide greater certainty for investment by integrating climate and energy policy," a spokesperson for Energy Minister Don Harwin said. "We are currently reviewing the proposal."
Mr Turnbull indicated he may convene a special COAG heads of government meeting to discuss the plan with state leaders.
With Peter Hannam
