* Equinor struggling to find new projects -CEO Saetre
* Urges politicians to offer acreage, regulations
* Equinor to bid in California offshore floating wind
By Ron Bousso
HOUSTON, March 14 (Reuters) - Norway's energy giant Equinoris struggling to find new renewables project to investin, its chief executive said on Thursday, urging governmentsaround the world to offer more opportunities.
"There aren't enough projects," Eldar Saetre told Reuters inan interview at the CERAWeek by IHS Markit conference inHouston.
Equinor, one of the world's largest oil and gas producers,is targeting rapid growth of its renewables business which todayincludes large offshore wind projects in Europe and the UnitedStates.
The Norwegian firm, which last year changed its name fromStatoil, plans to increase its share of spending on clean energyfrom 5 percent to 15 to 20 percent by 2030.
Rival's Royal Dutch Shell, BP and Totalare also expanding their low-carbon businesses asinvestor pressure rises for the industry to meet targets to cutfossil fuel burning set by the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
Critics warn that profits from renewables can often notrival those from oil and gas.
Saetre said governments around the world should offer energycompanies more opportunities to develop renewables projects.
"We need to access projects that we don't have today ... sothat's part of my call for politicians to work hard to offeracreage for solar and wind and regulations to support it."
Equinor last year won a license in a large wind farm projectoff the coast of Massachusetts. It plans to bid for offshorefloating wind farms in California planned for later this year orearly 2020, according to Christer af Geijerstam, Equinor's headof wind in the United States.
Floating wind is significantly more expensive than fixedturbines due to its limited use around the world but its costsare expected to decrease sharply if the technology is deployedmore extensively, af Geijerstam said.
Saetre called for government support to advance thetechnology.
Floating wind "is one of the areas where governments need towake up. It is not so obvious when you come from offshore seabedwind and that's different from floating."
"We talk to governments a lot about this and tell them thereis an opportunity there. We see it and they might not see it."
Equinor set up offices in India, Japan, South Korea andSpain's Canary Islands in recent months to develop renewablesbusinesses, Saetre said.(Reporting by Ron BoussoEditing by Marguerita Choy)