March 13 (Reuters) - Energy firm Equinor ( EQNR ) on

Wednesday announced the first Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission (FERC) approval for an offshore wind project to

connect directly into the New York City transmission system.

FERC on March 1 approved the Large Generator Interconnection

Agreement (LGIA) executed between the company's Empire Wind 1

project, New York ISO (NYISO) and Consolidated Edison Co,

Equinor ( EQNR ) said in a release.

With FERC's clearance, the 810 megawatts of renewable

electricity from Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project can be

connected to the New York City electrical grid at Con Edison's

Gowanus substation via the Sunset Park Onshore Substation at

South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT), the company said.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management also approved the

project's federal Construction and Operations Plan last month.

Recently, U.S. officials gave Equinor ( EQNR ) approval to start

building a massive offshore wind farm off the coast of New York,

a milestone for a project that has faced soaring costs and does

not have a power supply contract.

Last month, a Clean Air Act permit was granted to New York's

Empire Offshore Wind LLC owned by Equinor ( EQNR ).