Coal power has a future, says Shorten

Bill Shorten insists he's not a "rampant greenie" and believes coal has a place in Australia's future.

The opposition leader on Monday visited Victoria's Latrobe Valley, where the Hazelwood coal-fired power station is set to close in early 2017 due to its unviability.

"I am not a rampant greenie who thinks there is no place for fossil fuel in our energy mix in the future," Mr Shorten told reporters, adding the government needed a plan to find jobs for power industry workers.