Governments have been warned not to go too deep on specific green technologies. 

Renewable energy developers have warned Australian state and federal governments to avoid owning generation assets in mature technologies such as onshore wind and solar. 

While governments have an important role to play in stimulating new renewable energy sources such as hydrogen, they should not compete with private developers in more mature sectors, says a new report from the Clean Energy Investor Group and the Investor Group on Climate Change. 

The report argues that governments should instead provide stable regulation and limit their roles in mature sectors.

The warning comes as the Labor federal government sets an ambitious target of having zero-emission sources make up over 80 per cent of Australia's electricity mix by 2030 as part of its plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050. 

However, the report advises governments to complement, but not compete with, new clean energy projects.

Victoria has recently seen a wave of interest from local and foreign investors in offshore wind energy, which the state has placed at the heart of its plan to wean itself off coal. 

While Victoria has plenty of private operators interested in developing offshore wind, it has also committed to investing in new generation assets after reviving the State Electricity Commission. 

The state Labor government has announced a $1 billion investment to develop its own renewable energy assets, including wind and solar, with a focus on its offshore wind targets.

Queensland is also pushing ahead with public ownership of two new pumped-hydro power stations and other wind and solar projects. 

However, the report urges governments to minimise the risk of transmission infrastructure inaction, which would leave new generation assets stranded. 

The Australian Energy Market Operator has called for the acceleration of new transmission line development as more coal power stations retire.

The report concludes that governments have a larger role to play in industries such as offshore wind or hydrogen, where they can provide research and development funding, support demonstration projects, take a majority ownership position, and provide subsidies or other incentives to encourage investment in these technologies.