Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will today confront MPs concerned about the Government’s response to the Finkel review into the energy market, amid a backlash from conservatives that the plan will result in a “tax on coal”.

As the Government considers the report from Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, released on Friday, Tony Abbott has hit out at the potential for the plan to put upward pressure on prices and act as a disincentive to coal-fired electricity generation.

Arguing that Australian coal was used “everywhere except Australia”, the former prime minister and conservative standard-bearer said he wanted a policy response that led to lower power prices and an ongoing role for coal.

“If you are rewarding one type of energy, inevitably that money’s got to come from somewhere, either from consumers or taxpayers, and if it’s from consumers, well it’s effectively a tax on coal, and that’s the last thing we want,” Mr Abbott said.

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg, who has been speaking to MPs about the need to present a united front on the contentious policy area, will address the coalition party room on the report’s findings this morning.

Camera Icon Malcolm Turnbull plans a meeting with MPs. Credit: Getty Images

Dr Finkel is scheduled to meet the backbench committee on environment and energy, chaired by conservative Craig Kelly, following the partyroom briefing.

Dr Finkel concluded in his report that a clean energy target was the best way to meet Australia’s emission reduction targets at the lowest possible cost for consumers, but said the energy intensity threshold to provide incentives to produce cleaner power should be determined by Parliament.

Shadow energy minister Mark Butler said Mr Turnbull needed to stare down dissent from Liberals who were trying to “wreck the process”.

“If Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t pull his party room into line, he’s going to lose control of this process before it even begins,” he said.