Transforming Yuquot into a Center for Clean Energy Innovation: How the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation Partners with CalWave to Build a Microgrid

The Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN) has partnered with CalWave, a California-based wave energy technology developer, to reclaim their land and build a microgrid in Yuquot, British Columbia. Funded by a grant from TD Bank Group and the Clean Energy in Rural and Remote Communities Program within Natural Resources Canada, the project involves a consortium of partners 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.

The MMFN project is currently in the feasibility and design phase to gather necessary information for an informed decision on the full project buildout. The goal is to transform Yuquot into a center for innovation in community development and clean energy. This groundbreaking initiative for coastal community microgrids could serve as a model for other coastal communities along the North American Pacific Coast and globally.

CalWave was awarded the Wave Energy Prize by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2016 and has secured multiple R&D contracts from the DOE Water Power Technologies Office. The company successfully demonstrated its first open-ocean system off the coast of San Diego in 2021 and 2022 and is contracted by the DOE to deploy its first utility grid-connected system at the 20 MW PacWave test site off the central Oregon coast. With its proven track record of success, CalWave is leading this project with determination to achieve energy independence for Yuquot’s residents while honoring their traditional home’s historical significance as a trade hub on Nootka Island just off Vancouver Island’s west coast.