MUSKEGON, Mich. — Two Michigan universities are joining with a Seattle-based business to pursue the idea of offshore floating wind turbines for the Great Lakes.

The Muskegon Chronicle reports Friday that Grand Valley State University and Michigan Technological University are among those seeking federal funding for initial engineering and design of floating turbine technology. The idea would be to put them out of sight of land.

Charles Nordstrom, senior engineer on the Glosten Associates’ PelaStar project, says the Great Lakes region is one area where the technology could be tested.

Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center is the lead agency requesting funding from the Energy Department for a U.S. offshore wind demonstration project. Others in the group include Energetx Composites LLC, a wind turbine blade manufacturer that’s based in southwestern Michigan.