Article Synopsis
Vancouver Island relies heavily on imported electricity from the mainland, creating constraints on growth, investment, and energy security as demand rises and climate change affects hydroelectric supply. The Yə̓yus wind power project, led by the Wei Wai Kum First Nation, addresses this vulnerability by adding 197 megawatts of local renewable generation, enough to power nearly 50,000 homes. With majority First Nation ownership and support through BC Hydro’s 2024 Call for Power, the project advances energy independence, supply resilience, and economic reconciliation, positioning wind energy as a cost-effective complement to existing hydro resources.
Most of Vancouver Island’s electricity comes from the mainland, tied to a long transmission line that both limits new investment and raises outage concerns. However, Yə̓yus, a wind-power project led by the Wei Wai Kum First Nation, may be just the energy stepping stone the Island has been waiting for.
The Island’s power consumption is rapidly increasing as communities, particularly Nanaimo, continue growing. Currently, 70% of the Island’s power is imported from the mainland and climate change is reshaping the future of hydroelectricity across the province. On Vancouver Island, four hydro dams provide 471 megawatts (MW), leaving the region vulnerable to both supply fluctuations and growing demand.
A 197 MW Leap Toward Island Independence
Up the road from Campbell River, a wind farm will become the largest power-generating project on the Island. Yə̓yus, a project majority owned by the Wei Wai Kum First Nation, is a massive leap forward to energy independence for the region and is stated to come online by 2031. At 197 MW, this wind farm will produce more than 40% of the combined 471 MW currently generated by all four of the Island’s hydro dams, nearly doubling the output of the existing Cape Scott Wind Farm and delivering enough electricity for nearly 50,000 homes.
First Nations Lead Energy Development
For decades, large-scale energy on Vancouver Island flowed past First Nations. Hydroelectric dams altered rivers, flooded cultural sites, and disrupted livelihoods, and economic benefits rarely stayed local. Yə̓yus, led by the Wei Wai Kum First Nation, changes that. With 51 percent ownership, the nation shapes design, construction, and long-term operations, turning energy into both a resource and a regional asset.
BC Hydro’s 2024 Call for Power project aimed to source clean or renewable, cost-effective energy solutions that had meaningful First Nation partnerships. The result is more than clean energy but a step towards meaningful reconciliation.
As Vancouver Island seeks energy self-sufficiency, Yə̓yus demonstrates how partnerships can power the grid, the economy, and equity simultaneously.
Coast, Elevation, and Steady Wind Make a Strong Case
Vancouver Island is well-suited for wind energy. Coastal exposure and elevated terrain produce strong, consistent winds, particularly in fall and winter. These conditions allow modern turbines to operate near their capacity for much of the year. Pairing wind with the Island’s hydro system helps balance seasonal fluctuations in generation, improving grid reliability. Local demand and existing transmission infrastructure make wind projects on the Island economically feasible, with energy largely serving nearby communities and industry.
One Island Investment Story
When the Island can produce enough power locally, decisions about growth, jobs, and industry stop being constrained by a single transmission line across the Strait, local generation reduces vulnerability to outages and creates tangible economic benefits where people live and work.
New wind projects on Vancouver Island can deliver power at a lower cost than building new hydro, as turbines capture the steady coastal winds. Paired with existing hydro and potential battery storage, wind not only balances the grid but does so more affordably, making local energy generation both reliable and economically smart.
Framed as a One Island investment package, Yə̓yus becomes a stepping stone toward energy independence, turning local generation into an investable regional story that attracts bigger capital and spreads benefits across the whole Island.
The question isn’t whether wind can work here, but how much appetite Vancouver Island has to generate its own energy.
