Indigenous-led Wave Energy Project in Canada Brings Together a Consortium of Partners and Promises to Reclaim the Past and Build a Sustainable Future

Wave energy technology developer CalWave has been selected as the technology provider for a groundbreaking wave energy project in Yuquot, British Columbia, Canada. The project is led by the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN), whose traditional home is located on Nootka Island. The community was once a center of fish and fur trading for thousands of years until almost all residents were relocated to Vancouver Island in the late 20th century. Now, the MMFN is working to reclaim their land, rebuild their community, and use the powerful North Pacific waves to help power their new microgrid for energy independence.

The Indigenous-led project at Yuquot is funded by a grant from TD Bank Group and the Clean Energy in Rural and Remote Communities Program within Natural Resources Canada. The project brings together a consortium of partners from across Canada, including The Pacific Research Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED) at the University of Victoria, Barkley Project Group, Canpac Marine Services, and Environmental Dynamics Inc. This first-of-a-kind wave energy project for coastal community microgrids may serve as a blueprint for other communities along the North American Pacific Coast and beyond.

The MMFN project is currently in the feasibility and design phase to gather all necessary information for the community to make an informed decision on full project buildout. Azar Kamran, CEO of the MMFN, expressed his vision to establish Yuquot as a leader in innovation in community building and clean energy development. CalWave, a California-based wave energy technology developer chosen as the technology provider for this project, has an impressive track record. The company was named a winner of the Wave Energy Prize by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2016 and has secured four R&D contracts from the DOE Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO). CalWave has already demonstrated its first open-ocean system offshore of San Diego, California, and is contracted to deploy its first utility grid-connected system at the 20 MW PacWave test site off