The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said Aug. 16 that it is soliciting offers from companies interested in building floating wind farms off the coast of Morro Bay.

The agency filed the request to gauge interest in projects like the floating wind farm proposed by Seattle-based Trident Winds off Morro Bay’s coast and see if Trident Winds should be granted a lease for its space on the Continental Shelf in a competitive or non-competitive manner.

If built, the project would be about 30 miles off Morro Bay’s coast and each of the 100 large floating wind turbines would produce about 7 to 8 megawatts of electricity.

In December, Trident Winds held a public meeting to inform citizens about the project. On Jan. 14, BOEM received an unsolicited request for a commercial lease on the continental shelf by Trident Winds.

Gov. Jerry Brown and Interior Department Secretary Sally Jewell have backed the project. BOEM has awarded 11 commercial leases off the Atlantic coast. Nine of those bids were competitive.

• Contact Philip Joens at pjoens@pacbiztimes.com.