The Federal Budget banks on a return to the global resources boom and risks a jobs crash in the absence of a plan for energy jobs beyond coal, the Australian Greens said today.

"This is a Budget which cannot imagine a world which has left coal behind," said Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne.

"The plan for a return to surplus is banking on the global coal market booming again. That is a huge risk to take when there are ever stronger signals that the global appetite for coal is waning, with renewables and energy efficiency swiftly filling the gap.

"If, as expected, China and America begin to move seriously to address the climate crisis, the global coal market will decline just as Australia is banking on its return to a boom.

"We risk a jobs crash in coal communities if we don't start working now with plans to retrain workers for jobs in new sustainable industries seeded in their regions."

While the first serious funding allocation to renewable energy is welcome, it is still dwarfed by much larger and faster streams of money to coal. Funding is still ad hoc and project based, with no comprehensive measures, industry plan or jobs and training package that would see renewables challenge coal's dominance and deliver a jobs boom.

"I welcome the fact that the Government is finally giving some serious resources to baseload solar power, but the money would be driven much further if it was part of a coordinated renewable energy industry plan instead of ad hoc cash splashes.

"If the Rudd Government supported the Greens' plans for a gross national feed-in tariff and a jobs and industry strategy for renewable energy, the $1.6 billion would be driven a lot further than four projects, however valuable those projects undoubtedly are.

"I welcome the fact that the Government has finally recognised the tremendous benefits of an intelligent electricity grid, but we need a whole-sale roll-out now instead of a small pilot project or proven technology.

"Let's use the billions of dollars in corporate polluter welfare still going to coal mines, coal rail links, coal ports and 'clean coal' pipedreams to upgrade now to an intelligent electricity grid.

"One coal project in the Hunter Valley gets more funding than the whole renewable energy flagship. Money for coal starts immediately, while there is no new money for renewables in the coming financial year.

"Clearly corporate polluter welfare still beats planning for the future for the Rudd Government.

"Instead of a risky jobs strategy that relies on coal, we could be creating hundreds of thousands of safe, high quality jobs in protecting the climate. It's well past time that we got started," Senator Milne said.