For some remote Indigenous communities north of Thunder Bay, connecting to the Ontario hydro grid is not possible. Gull Bay First Nation, an Ojibway community, co-developed Canada’s first fully integrated, standalone solar power micro-grid. Solar panels capture energy and store it in on site batteries. Once the micro grid has generated sufficient solar energy, the computer-controlled system turns off the diesel power generators until the solar reserves run low, saving a million dollars annually in diesel fuel and costs.

Power to the People is a series that discovers how indigenous people, values and wisdom are guiding the way to a sustainable, clean energy future. Thirteen half hour episodes deliver emotive, indigenous inspired stories that demonstrate how renewable energy is empowering communities towards a post carbon future.