State leaders are unanimously calling for a national energy plan, with one warning Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull could lose his job if he doesn't show leadership on the issue.
It comes as a preliminary report by Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, to be considered by a meeting of the nation's leaders in Canberra on Friday, warned Australia won't meet its 2030 carbon pollution reduction target under existing policies.
It also gave implicit endorsement to an emissions intensity trading scheme for the electricity industry to help manage the transition to lower-emissions energy sources - an option ruled out by Mr Turnbull this week after it was flagged by Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg.
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South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill warned the prime minister's job could be on the line over the issue.
"It would be a great irony if he was to lose his job for a second time being on the opposite side of the debate," he said, referring to Mr Turnbull being replaced as Liberal leader over his support for Labor's emissions trading scheme in 2009.
Ahead of today's Council of Australian Governments meeting in Canberra, Mr Turnbull hit back, declaring Mr Weatherill was in "no position to lecture us".
"He presides over the least stable, the least secure electricity system which is also the most expensive in Australia."
Mr Turnbull sidestepped questions about Dr Finkel's advice insisting security, affordability and meeting the Paris targets were the three goals Australia needed to achieve in a manner that kept downward pressure on electricity prices.
Dr Finkel was asked to create a national blueprint on energy security and reliability after blackouts across SA earlier this year.
Mr Weatherill said the prime minister needed to explain why there couldn't be a discussion about a national energy policy his own expert advisers were recommending and that he once advocated.
He insists the lack of a national policy is driving up prices, causing instability and resulting in a dirtier electricity system.
"We just want a solution and a solution that has been proposed by his own hand-picked scientist."
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said climate and energy policy at the national level was a mess.
"The Turnbull government don't quite seem to know what to do."
NSW Premier Mike Baird, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and West Australian Premier Colin Barnett also agreed a national approach was needed rather than states going their own way.
Mr Barnett said it was "absolutely incredible" there were energy shortages in Australia when it had the richest and most abundant energy resources of any country in the world.
"You need to invest in cleaner technology and Australia should be using its gas resources," Mr Barnett said.
