Block Island wind farm gets final permits ahead of construction, to start next year

An offshore wind farm that could be the nation's first has gotten its final lease and permits from state coastal regulators.

The Coastal Resources Management Council last week unanimously approved the paperwork for Deepwater Wind's project off Block Island.

The five-turbine project is three miles off Block Island and is competing with the larger Cape Wind off Cape Cod to become the nation's first offshore wind farm.

Deepwater Wind CEO Jeff Grybowski tells Rhode Island Public Radio that the company now has all the leases and permits it needs for the project, and they can start construction next year.

He says more than 20 local, state and federal government agencies had to approve the project.