But Fairfax Media understands the Victorian government only learnt of Wednesday's signing late on Tuesday when the French asked who from Melbourne would be attending the Sydney ceremony. Federal government 'trying to destroy' Renewable Energy Target Lily D'Ambrosio, Victoria's Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister, took "great exception" at Victoria being excluded from the invitation list for the signing. Victoria's Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio says the federal government is taking credit for a project "they haven’t put a cent into". Credit:Darrian Traynor "Here is a government that is still talking about opening new coal-fired power stations, taking credit for a renewable energy project they haven’t put a cent into," Ms D'Ambrosio said.

"Only Labor has backed and invested in this project, which will support our Renewable Energy Target – something the federal government is actively trying to destroy." Officials are particularly irked the Turnbull government should seek to bask in the glow of a project that is part of the Victorian Renewable Energy Targets (VRET) - a program routinely criticised by the federal government for seeking to expand clean energy faster than other states. Fairfax Media sought comment from the Prime Minister's office. The Numurkah plant will more than triple in size to 128 megawatts following the deal with Zen, with a total investment of more than $200 million, said Franck Woitiez, managing director for Neoen Australia. The Victorian government "was very crucial to helping us start the project", Mr Woitiez told Fairfax Media, adding "they are far ahead of other states" in prompting renewable energy in Australia.

Zen Energy was also surprised Victoria had been excluded from the event, with one insider saying "the state government's support had been essential" for getting the Numurkah project going. Zen Energy was set up in 2004 to promote solar and storage production, and was taken over in 2017 by GFG Alliance, the steel company that bought South Australia's Arrium works. 'Track record' Victoria's absence drew comments from Mark Butler, federal Labor's climate spokesman, who said the PM had "a long track record of appearing at renewable energy projects for media opportunities and then bagging state government policies that allow the project to be built in the first place". "If Malcolm Turnbull had his way this NEON solar farm would never have been built," Mr Butler said.

He pointed to comments made by Mr Turnbull in February last year that were critical of Victoria's VRET plans and similar plans in South Australia and Queensland. "What Labor states have done is they’ve ignored the need to keep the lights on, they’ve ignored the need to keep energy affordable and they've come up with these very political targets," Mr Turnbull said. 'Power of conviction' Mr Macron has been a global leader promoting action on climate change since being elected a year ago this week. Last week, he appealed to the US Congress and President Donald Trump not to pull the US out of the Paris climate accord, saying "there was no planet B" if global warming wrecked this one.

Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video On Tuesday night, Mr Macron used a speech at a dinner at the Sydney Opera House hosted by Mr Turnbull to appeal to the Prime Minister to show the "power of conviction" in confronting climate change opponents in Parliament and within his own party room, according to the ABC. "I am fully aware of the political and economic debate surrounding this issue in your country, and I respect this," Mr Macron said. "But I think that actual leaders are those that can respect those existing interests, but at the same time decide to participate to something broader, to something more strategic." With Cole Latimer