Feb 13 (Reuters) - New York's utility regulator on

Thursday granted a unit of Norwegian energy firm Equinor ( EQNR )

permission to build and operate transmission

facilities for the company's Empire Wind 1 offshore wind farm

under construction off the state coast.

The transmission line for the project runs about 17.5 miles

(28.2 kilometers) from the boundary of New York State waters to

a point of interconnection in Brooklyn, the New York Public

Service Commission (NYPSC) said in a release.

Empire Offshore Wind 1 is an 816-megawatt wind project that

will produce enough renewable power for more than 388,000 homes.

The offshore wind farm is expected to be constructed by the

end of 2026, and fully operational by the end of 2027, the NYPSC

said.