By Paul Osborne

September 20, 2017 - Getting a balanced, bipartisan deal is the key to a long-term energy policy in Australia, says the World Coal Association.

WCA chief executive Benjamin Sporton, who was in Canberra, Australia on Tuesday for talks, said it was important Australia adopt an investment policy which did not favor any particular generation technology.

"When we look at what is happening in Australia, we should be balancing out an energy policy that looks at affordability, reliability and of course the role of emissions reduction," Mr. Sporton told Sky News.

"And it's important we have a bipartisan policy."

Asked when a policy should be implemented, he said, "the sooner, the better".

Mr. Sporton said Australia had a huge competitive advantage with its "very significant domestic coal resource".

"That ought to be able to help Australia have very low energy prices," he said.

Emissions reduction was being achieved by modern, high efficiency, low emission plants overseas, and large-scale carbon capture and storage was being trialled at 20 sites.