Wave Energy Technology Takes Center Stage in Yuquot, British Columbia’s Rebuilding Efforts

The Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN) in Yuquot, British Columbia, Canada, has partnered with wave energy technology developer CalWave to develop a wave energy project that aims to provide clean energy independence to the community. Located on Nootka Island, Yuquot is the traditional home of the MMFN and was once a center for fish and fur trading for thousands of years. However, in the late 20th century, almost all residents were forced to relocate to Vancouver Island. Now, the MMFN is working to reclaim their land and rebuild their community with the help of CalWave’s wave energy technology.

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

Azar Kamran, CEO of the MMFN, expressed his desire to establish Yuquot as a leader in innovation in community building and clean energy development. CalWave has a proven track record as a California-based wave energy technology developer and was chosen as the technology provider for the MMFN project due to its past successes. 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 the central Oregon coast.

The feasibility phase of the project is currently underway as both parties collect necessary information before making any decisions on full project buildout.