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PM still considering RET policy proposals

Prime Minister Tony Abbott hopes a review advocating controversial changes to the renewable energy target will stoke public debate about the future of the scheme.

But he's remaining tight lipped about what his government has in store for the climate policy, which mandates that 20 per cent of all electricity come from renewable sources by 2020.

The government's hand-picked review panel has recommended either closing the RET to new investment in wind or solar farms or increasing targets in line with electricity demand.

The clean energy industry remains adamant either option would gut future investment and put tens of thousands of jobs on the line.

The government promised it would not break its election commitment to stand by the 20 per cent target.

"We support renewable energy," Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra on Friday.

"But we also want to try to ensure that we use renewable energy in ways that don't lift the price of power, don't result in unnecessary cost to the Australian people."

However that claim remains open to dispute, with Infigen Energy warning the proposed changes offered the "worst outcomes for electricity consumers".

The wind farm operators said modelling in the review showed the RET would result in a net benefit to consumers compared to closing the scheme.

"The claims that the RET would drive up electricity prices have once again been shown to be incorrect," Infigen managing director Miles George said in a statement.

He said the results were driven by ideology, not facts.

Review head Dick Warburton, a climate change sceptic and chairman of Caltex Australia, rejected suggestions his personal views had coloured his work.

"It had no bearing on the terms of reference and it had no bearing on the report," he told ABC radio.

"We went into this with a completely open mind."

Labor warned the small-scale renewables sector - particularly solar rooftop companies - would be decimated along with the bigger projects in wind and hydroelectricity if the changes went ahead.