Angus Taylor says he's sick of the ideology and politics in the energy industry as Labor and Greens attacked the government for failing to support the renewables sector.
The federal energy minister has told a Clean Energy Council event he wants to tackle problems in the industry and find the right balance between energy sources.
"There's been a lot of ideology and a lot of politics in this industry for a lot of years," he told industry leaders in Canberra on Wednesday night.
"If we can get beyond the proselytising and the politics, and focus on the problem solving, I think we can solve the problems."
Energy Minister Angus Taylor wants to move past ideologies and solve energy industry problems. Source: AAP
Speaking to industry figures, Mr Taylor said one of the biggest challenges for the sector was ensuring the reliability of the system, given a bigger portion of electricity now comes from renewables.
His concern comes from Australia meeting its 2020 renewable energy target, which Mr Taylor - an outspoken critic of wind energy - doesn't plan to extend.
Under the target, 33,000 gigawatt-hours - or 23.5 per cent - of Australia's electricity will come from renewable sources by 2020.
Renewable energy investment plunges
While Mr Taylor says this creates reliability challenges, the industry is concerned investors will turn overseas due to a lack of long-term policy from the federal government.
In a briefing paper released on Wednesday, the Clean Energy Council said investments in new renewable energy projects plunged this year, after reaching a high in late-2018.
Labor's energy spokesman Mark Butler congratulated industry leaders on achieving the target despite facing political challenges.
The target was slashed in 2015 under the Abbott government from 41,000 gigawatt hours, with the support of Mr Taylor, who believed it was too high.
"Your industry has been subject to the most full frontal attack - by a political party and by some in the media - we've seen over recent years," Mr Butler said.
Labor's energy spokesman Mark Butler congratulated the industry on achieving the target despite political opposition. Source: AAP
"And yet, the community support for your industry remains utterly undented ... if anything, it's growing."
Greens leader Richard Di Natale also addressed the event, arguing it was time to play hardball against the fossil fuel industry.
"We've got a number of old, polluting, unreliable coal-fired power stations that are going to break down this summer, and every summer over the coming years," Senator Di Natale said.
"When those blackouts happen, your voice must be heard."
Meanwhile, Labor is considering scrapping its policy of cutting carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 to focus on longer-term climate change targets.
Opposition MP Pat Conroy said Labor's net zero pollution target for 2050 was more important than its 2030 ambitions.
"Labor is evaluating all its policies and we need to make sure that we adopt a trajectory that delivers net zero emissions by 2050," he told The Australian.
"That has to be the overriding objective."
