The Chief Scientist says otherwise, but this is a political fix – and an understandable one.

When Alan Finkel released a preliminary report into energy security last year, there was no mention of the latest policy now thrust into the centre of the decade-old political climate wars – the creatively named clean energy target.

Six months on, it's a central recommendation. It is also the last and best hope of anything meaningful getting up on climate and energy under this government.

The politics look difficult as hell, and it's not what you would do if starting from scratch, but with a couple of adjustments it could deliver what Australia and the energy industry need: a path to encourage investment in new power plants and to start cutting greenhouse gas emissions from electricity. It should also help keep a lid on price rises and ensure the lights stay on.