I'm not sure I would be that cynic:

- Statoil took over Hywind in 2008 when they acquired the O&G division of Hydro, and set up the first test turbine in 2009

- Shell is also active in offshore wind, so this is not limited to majority state owned companies

Offshore wind could be competitive in the early 2020's without subsidies, depending on your assumption of fossil fuel and CO2 prices

Bottom line: Floating offshore wind could be very promising in areas with deep water, such as Japan, so I would not call this busy work