South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory have effectively declared no confidence in the federal government as it grapples with the question of whether to set up a clean energy target, deciding to go it alone and ask the Australian Energy Market Commission to draw up plans for one.

The clean energy target was the only recommendation of 50 made by chief scientist Alan Finkel not to be adopted unanimously when the state and Commonwealth energy ministers met in Brisbane on Friday.

The communique noted that the Commonwealth was still "carefully considering" the target and said the four states would separately ask the Commission to design a target as they were entitled to under its rules.