In a groundbreaking project, the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN) has chosen CalWave as the technology provider for a wave energy project in Yuquot, British Columbia, Canada. The project is a collaboration between the MMFN and CalWave, with funding provided by a grant from TD Bank Group and the Clean Energy in Rural and Remote Communities Program within Natural Resources Canada.
The MMFN, which has been the traditional home of the community for thousands of years, is working to reclaim their land, rebuild their community, and utilize the power of the North Pacific waves to help fuel their new microgrid and achieve energy independence. The Indigenous-led project is currently in the feasibility and design phase to gather necessary information for an informed decision on the full project buildout.
CalWave is leading this project with its innovative wave energy technology. The California-based company 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. CalWave 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.
The MMFN project is expected to serve as a model for other coastal communities along the North American Pacific Coast and globally. By utilizing clean energy sources such as wave power, these communities can reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and contribute to global efforts towards sustainable development.