Australia's Chief Scientist Alan Finkel has welcomed the federal government's new energy plan despite .
Dr Finkel said this was the 'first time' Australia had a strategy for reliable energy.
"We've previously had some tactical responses, we've had some policies," he told reporters on Tuesday.
"But by bringing these all together we're finally taking Australia's electricity future, backed up by gas and other aspects of the energy system, into a strategic zone. And that's a great thing to see."
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The government's new energy plan will force electricity retailers including Origin, AGL and Energy Australia to ensure they have a reserve of on-demand power from dispatchable sources such as coal, gas or renewable batteries.
They will also be forced to ensure they limit their carbon dioxide emissions under enforcement mechanisms yet to be discussed with state governments.
The government has agreed not to pursue a proposed clean energy target as was recommended in a report from Dr Finkel. Instead, it will implement a new so-called National Energy Guarantee.
Dr Finkel said there were "multiple ways of achieving a credible mechanism" and he was "optimistic" power bill prices would drop.
"They've got a different credible mechanism which is based on retail obligation," he said after Mr Turnbull's announcement.
"And they've got a different credible mechanism for the generation obligation for the requirement that the system can deliver electricity when needed. And I think it's fine.
"The important thing is that they're effectively adopting an orderly transition that covers a trajectory: encouragement of low emissions energy into the market and... an obligation on the system to deliver electricity when needed."
Dr Finkel presented the government with 50 recommendations on energy policy in a report earlier this year.
The government pledged to adopt 49 of them but confirmed it would not adopt the 50th - a clean energy target - on Tuesday.
- Additional reporting by James Elton-Pym
