Electricity companies have welcomed the prime minister's invitation to talks on power bills next week, but say the best fix is being ignored by the government.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has summoned seven electricity chiefs and their industry body to a meeting in Canberra on Wednesday.
The government has adopted all but one recommendation of the recent Finkel review into the electricity system - a clean energy target.
But Australian Energy Council chief Matthew Warren says that's precisely what is needed.
"A bipartisan, national clean energy target remains the key reform to drive new investment and bring down electricity prices," he said on Friday.
Mr Warren said recent power price rises were the result of old generators closing and the lack of a consistent plan as to how to replace them.
Mr Turnbull, in his meeting invitation letter, said power price rises had put serious strain on Australian households and businesses.
A key concern was consumers being pushed from discounted market rates to higher priced standard contracts or non-discounted plans often without realising it.
Mr Warren said the industry agreed energy prices were unsustainable, but the problem could not be solved simply by talking about retail bills and customer deals.
Power prices were rising because electricity was becoming scarce and new generation was needed, but investors were holding off until they saw a "workable, durable and bipartisan policy".
Treasurer Scott Morrison told the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin on Thursday the government was open to meeting Labor "in the middle" on energy policy.
Labor has promised to ditch its proposed emissions intensity scheme in favour of a clean energy target if the government wishes to adopt the policy.
