The initiative to explore and characterize the abundant marine renewable energy resources around Haida Gwaii, which comprises over 200 islands and is isolated from the main BC Hydro power grid, involves a yellow Floating Light Detection and Ranging (FLiDAR) Wind Sentinel buoy anchored ten kilometers off Síigee G̲adsguusd, North Beach. This buoy will gather data on wind, waves, and currents until September 2025, as part of a collaboration between the Council of the Haida Nation and the University of Victoria’s Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED). Currently, the island’s nearly 5,000 residents rely heavily on diesel, with two generation stations providing 60 percent of their power and consuming over 8.7 million liters of diesel annually. The project will assess potential energy production, map the power grid, and estimate costs while ensuring alignment with cultural and environmental values according to the Haida Gwaii Marine Plan. The collected data will inform sustainable energy decisions for the community, focusing on understanding marine conditions, while emphasizing that this research does not represent a planned energy production site.
Exploring Renewable Energy Potential: FLiDAR Buoy Project in Haida Gwaii
