Harnessing ocean waves to power remote communities
A $1 million grant from TD Bank Group is advancing research at UVic on transforming wave power into electricity. The ambitious project led by the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN) and UVic’s Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED) aims to create a reliable, renewable and clean energy source for the Nation. Harnessing the power of waves, abundant in the MMFN’s territory, could bring the Nation closer to its goal of returning to its traditional home on Nootka Island.
Members of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN) are forging a return to their traditional homeland on Nootka Island to rebuild their community. The village of Yuquot on Nootka Island would be considered a remote community to many. To the MMFN, Yuquot is the “Centre of the Universe.” For thousands of years, the inhabitants of the island depended on the ocean, rivers and forests to sustain their way of life. The Nation was forced by the federal government to relocate in the 1960s. Ever since, members of the MMFN have longed to reoccupy and revitalize Yuquot. With the help of researchers from UVic’s Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED), the Nation is exploring pathways to achieve this goal, powered by renewable wave energy.
Rebuilding a community
A National Historic Site, known as the place of first contact between Europeans and the Indigenous Peoples of BC, Yuquot is approximately 90 km northwest of Tofino off Vancouver Island’s west coast. Currently, only one MMFN family lives at the village, but many members return in the summer for recreation and cultural events. The Nation currently lives at Tsaxana, near Gold River, and in other small towns on Vancouver Island, but seek to return to Yuquot year-round.
“All Mowachaht-Muchalaht people have a strong desire to rebuild the village and the fishing economy by the sea once more. We have already taken the significant step of re-instituting MMFN commercial fishing rights to provide an economic backbone, and now the dream to reoccupy Yuquot requires implementing a source of clean energy that reliably powers the Yuquot economy without compromising the environmental stewardship of our lands.”
—Azar Kamran, administrator and CEO of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation
The Nation is seeking a predictable and renewable energy source in place of diesel generators and batteries. The solution could be found in the abundant wave energy from the surrounding waters.
Developing a renewable microgrid
“Wave energy is one of the largest untapped renewable energy resources on Earth and shows immense potential given its high predictability and proximity to coastal communities. Despite the benefits, the industry is still in a nascent stage of development.”
— Riley Richardson, PRIMED research scientist
PRIMED researchers are working with the Nation and a team of partners on a plan to harness and integrate wave energy at Yuquot. In 2023, the project received a $1 million boost in funding from the TD Ready Challenge to develop a first-of-its-kind renewable energy microgrid for the village. This project is at the cutting edge of renewable energy system development. Over the past two years, PRIMED has completed resource and feasibility assessments, comprehensive modelling, and community and regulatory engagement. PRIMED has also nurtured team building across industry, academia and government.
In early 2025, the project team completed its design study, and the MMFN applied for federal funding to fully build out the wave energy component of the Yuquot microgrid. The project team expects to have a full-size device that can produce power in 2029. Without donor support, the project team would not have reached this milestone.
Accelerating solutions for remote communities worldwide
The ripple effects of this technology are far-reaching. MMFN members will learn how to manage renewable energy systems and share knowledge and best practices with other communities and Nations. Additionally, the project demonstrates how Indigenous cultural priorities and leadership, in combination with science and engineering, can drive innovation. This approach—grounded in respect for community needs—advances technologies that serve social objectives. Through this work, the MMFN is catalyzing and shaping a new industry in BC, across the country and around the world.
PRIMED—an independent division of the Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) initiative at UVic—has 20 years of experience working in the marine renewable energy space on the BC coast. The Yuquot wave project is not the only donor-funded initiative that PRIMED is leading to expand the uptake of marine renewable energy. The team recently partnered with RBC Foundation to explore the potential of tidal energy with the Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis First Nation and the Haíɫzaqv Nation. As a predictable energy source, tidal energy is a complement to other renewables that suffer from intermittency, such as solar power. This research will set the stage for the development of tidal projects by each Nation.
“Focused philanthropic donations that support ambitious communities in leading the way are immensely valuable. Donor support in the early stages sets a foundation by enabling investigative research, system design and team development to occur in tandem. This reduces risk and uncertainty. Most importantly, the initial support can unlock further funding for a full project build-out.”
— Riley Richardson, PRIMED research scientist
Read more about this partnership project and watch a 5-minute video from CBC News.
To read more about the impact of donor generosity, visit the UVic Annual Report to Donors.