The Yuquot Micro-Grid Project is being advanced by the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN) to improve energy security at Yuquot (Friendly Cove), reduce reliance on diesel generation and support long-term community resilience. The Project proposes renewable energy infrastructure, including marine and terrestrial components, on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
A key component of the Project is a proposed wave energy converter, which represents a first-of-its-kind wave energy installation in Canada and one of the first deployments of this technology in a remote, off-grid community context. The Project introduces novel infrastructure into the marine environment and is being advanced cautiously, with an emphasis on understanding baseline conditions and minimizing environmental risk.
EDI has prepared an Environmental Baseline Report that characterizes existing environmental conditions within the marine and terrestrial study areas for the project and identifies sensitive environmental features. Baseline tasks integrated desktop studies, field investigations and Traditional Ecological Knowledge shared by MMFN Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and resource users. To date, the baseline findings have directly informed project design and mitigation planning. For example, in the marine environment, horizontal directional drilling beneath intertidal and nearshore zones has been proposed to avoid direct disturbance to sensitive habitats.
In addition to baseline reporting, EDI will prepare the Environmental Assessment Report and provide support for permitting the project.