Isle of Wight wind farm inches forward

LONDON, May 8 (UPI) -- British campaign group Friends of the Earth said Thursday a wind farm proposed off the coast of the Isle of Wight was a "huge success" for energy security.

A national infrastructure planning commission said an application for the Navitus Bay Wind farm has been accepted for examination. If built, the wind farm would feature 194 turbines and associated infrastructure and have an installed capacity of up to 970 megawatts.

Mike Birkin, a regional campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said adding more renewable energy to the British grid will enhance energy security.

"This is a major step forward for this exciting project, which promises to be the biggest source of clean energy in the south of England," he said in a statement.

The country is a world leader in terms of offshore wind power installations. The proposed wind farm would have enough energy to meet the annual demands of around 700,000 British households. The wind park is planned by a joint venture between Eneco Wind U.K. Ltd. and EDF Energy Renewables. The developers this week said they'd consider offering compensation to area businesses, who've expressed concern about the wind farm's effect on tourism.