Independent Queensland senator Glenn Lazarus has accused the Government and Labor of doing a "dirty deal" to reduce the renewable energy target.

The Coalition and Labor have agreed to a new target for renewable energy of 33,000 gigawatt hours down from the existing target of 41,000.

Senator Lazarus supports the higher target.

"I cannot and will not be part of this dirty deal that reduces Australia's renewable energy target (RET) and our country's commitment to the renewable energy sector," he told the Senate.

"If the Abbott Government and the Opposition are successful in reducing Australia's renewable energy target, Australia will become the first country in the world to reduce a RET.

"I cannot and will not be part of this despicable act."

Senator Lazarus said the Abbott Government's reluctance to commit to the RET of 41,000 eroded confidence in the sector, which in turn caused a significant and sharp downturn of investment.

"I can only assume that political donations being made by rich, multi-national mining companies to the pockets of the Coalition is affecting the Federal Government's decision making," he said.

Victorian Ricky Muir was a supporter of the higher target, but said the issue dragged on so long while the two big parties negotiated that it had become much harder to achieve that figure.

He is now backing the lower target Labor and the Coalition eventually agreed on.

"Let's get it through and restore investor confidence to an industry that employs thousands of people both in my state of Victoria and throughout Australia," he told the Senate.

But Greens senator Christine Milne said it would not mean certainty.

"You just have to look at the Prime Minister's words," she said.

"He said that the reason the RET is 33,000 gigawatt hours is not that he wants to give certainty to the renewable energy industry.

"No. It is 33,000 gigawatt hours because he could not get it any lower.

"That is as low as he could go in this Senate, but he will go lower if he can.

"In terms of whether it means more wind turbines, what did the Prime Minister say? He can't stand them. There are too many of them. He does not want to see any more of them. But he spoke to the loggers at their dinner and said he thinks they are marvellous; they do a great job."

Slow debate attempting to undermine wind: Milne

Senator Milne also accused the Government of slowing down debate on the bill to implement the new target.

"I'll tell you why — it's because out in the back rooms the crossbenchers are out there trying to stitch up an even worse deal with the Government," she told the Upper House.

"No doubt it's an attempt to undermine wind."

Victorian senator John Madigan was vocal about his concerns over wind power.

He told the Senate this target would mean 2,500 new wind turbines, "which will create such havoc in our electorates and rural environments that there will be widespread community outrage".

Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm has a similar view about the industry he refers to as "big wind".

Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie is highly critical of most forms of renewable energy.

"If you think you can stop the world's climate from changing by making pensioner's pay more for their energy, by building wind farms and by mandating renewable energy targets, then you are worse than deluded," she said.

"You are dangerously deluded and you should be locked up."