Wind farm transmission line approved

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Plans for a wind farm near Rhode Island's Block Island have won a key approval from a federal agency.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Tuesday issued a determination of no competitive interest for the construction of a transmission line between Block Island and the mainland. Deepwater Wind intends to build the line as part of a proposed five turbine wind farm.

The determination means federal regulators found no other potential wind energy developers interested in the project. The bureau calls its determination an "important" step before Deepwater Wind can be granted a right-of-way for the $45 million transmission line, which will connect the wind farm to the mainland power grid.

Deepwater hopes to follow up on the smaller wind farm with a much large 1,000-megawatt wind farm.