Energy and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg, Treasurer Scott Morrison and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann emphasised on Wednesday morning that "business as usual" is not an option and the recommendations contained in a recent review by chief scientist Alan Finkel are just the beginning of a long-term policy process.

In the special meeting, a core group of backbenchers - led by former prime minister Tony Abbott - pushed back against a proposed Clean Energy Target (CET) proposed by Dr Finkel. Others were supportive of the plan.

The confrontation has reignited tensions over climate change within the Coalition.

Mr Morrison said the government was only a few days into a discussion on a policy area that has "vexed governments for over a decade".

"If there are any expectations that, all of a sudden, a couple of days after the release of the Finkel report, that it would all be presented nicely tied up in a bow and presented to the media as a solved issue, I think is, quite frankly, naive and unrealistic," he said.

Earlier, Mr Morrison said it was "premature" to link divisions over climate change policy to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's leadership.

The Finkel report, released on Friday, has promised lower energy prices for households and business under a CET, compared to other policy options.

Responding to a quote from a Coalition MP who said the Finkel recommendations were dead, Mr Frydenberg said "reports of the death of Finkel are greatly exaggerated" and claimed "strong support" for some of the chief scientist's recommendations.

Mr Frydenberg rejected a list circulated to some journalists that outlined 21 speakers against the Finkel review, five for and five unclear.

"They must have been at a different party room meeting, whoever sent that list. That is not an accurate portrayal of what happened," he told Sky News.

Nationals MP Mark Coulton, who was listed as a speaker against the Finkel recommendations, reacted angrily to it being leaked, labelling whoever did it a "pissant".

"I'm on some list as being portrayed as some kind of climate change denier and that's nonsense. But you've got to understand that Finkel is a report to government, it's not government policy."

Mr Frydenberg signalled the government could be open to significant concessions to the CET and said he Mr Turnbull had not brought a specific proposal to the party room.

"We went to the party room yesterday to explain what's happening in the energy market and what the Finkel report had recommended. And it was an important opportunity to air their issues and their concerns about what is happening in this sector and to provide new ideas for going forward," Mr Frydenberg told ABC radio.

The future of coal-fired power is the major sticking point in the debate, with Mr Abbott and his supporters arguing that it is a lower cost and more reliable source of energy. These MPs have expressed concern that the CET will disadvantage coal.

Mr Frydenberg emphasised that coal needed to be kept in the energy mix and new coal developments would be possible under the government's plans.

Senator Cormann also rejected that climate change policy, which unseated Mr Turnbull as Liberal leader in 2009, again threatened his position.