Indigenous Community Takes Lead in Pioneering Sustainable Energy Solution with Wave Energy Technology

The community of Yukuot, located on Nootka Island off the west coast of Vancouver Island, has been the traditional home of the Muchalaht/Movacaht First Nation (MMFN) for thousands of years. The MMFN is now working to reclaim its land and rebuild its community while harnessing the power of North Pacific waves to achieve energy independence.

This Indigenous-led project is a groundbreaking initiative for coastal community microgrids and could serve as a model for other communities along the North American Pacific Coast and around the world. Funded by a TD Bank Group grant and Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Energy in Rural and Remote Communities Program, the project involves a consortium of partners across Canada, including the Pacific Research Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED) at the University of Victoria, Barclays Project Group, Canpac Marine Services, and Environmental Dynamics Inc.

CalWave, a California wave energy technology developer, is leading the project. The company was awarded the Wave Energy Award by the US Department of Energy in 2016 and has secured multiple research and development contracts from DOE’s Office of Hydropower Technologies. CalWave successfully demonstrated its first open-ocean system off the coast of San Diego in 2021 and 2022, and DOE contracted to deploy its first grid-connected utility system at the 20 MV PacWave test site on the central Oregon coast.

The goal of this project is to transform Yukuot into a center for innovation in community development and clean energy, building on its historic importance as a trading hub.