Australia's renewable energy industries will lose billions of dollars if the coalition wins government in September, according to confidential data.
Analysis commissioned by The Climate Institute reveals about $4 billion in private funding would be lost to the industry, including for solar power.
It also says the coalition's climate change plan is $4bn short of the amount needed to meet its proposed five per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, Fairfax reported on Monday.
Instead, the private think tank's analysis suggests there would be a nine per cent increase in emissions by 2020.
Fairfax reports big business is planning for the impact should Opposition Leader Tony Abbott cut the carbon price and axe the clean energy finance system, despite the coalition rejecting the institute's analysis.
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Carbon finance sector sources believe the loss of about $4.1bn of private funds away from large-scale renewable power projects will lead to the construction of cheap wind farms to meet mandatory renewable energy targets of 20 per cent clean power by 2020.
It also meant gas would be another "winner", a source told Fairfax.
"Australia's significant clean energy potential is being held back by seemingly endless rounds of review and, like the rest of the energy industry, our main need is for policy stability to drive investment in major projects," chief executive of industry group the Clean Energy Council, David Green, said.
Mr Abbott on the weekend said spending under the coalition's "direct action" climate change plan would remain capped at $3.2bn.
A survey by consultants AECOM of 180 leading companies found 65 per cent of businesses supported an emissions trading scheme, 29 per cent supported a carbon tax and just seven per cent of businesses supported the coalition's direct action policy.
