Indigenous Power Coalition Launches to Support Indigenous Leadership in Clean Energy
April 7, 2026
New Indigenous Power Coalition launched to “flip the script” on Indigenous involvement in electricity projects, starting with interprovincial transmission lines
Kwatuuma Cole Sayers is taking on a new role as the executive director and co-founder of Indigenous Power Coalition, a new non-profit organization focused on supporting Indigenous leadership of new, clean electricity generation and transmission projects. According to Sayers, the former head of the Clean Energy Association of BC, “our goal is to flip the conventional script on Indigenous project involvement – from the role of consulted Rights Holders to that of project leaders.”
“Traditionally, Nations have been in a reactive role,” says Sayers. “Non-Indigenous, commercial developers have been the ones to identify opportunities and seek Indigenous participation. We want to reverse that dynamic and establish Indigenous leadership right from the beginning.”
Indigenous-led generation and transmission projects foster self-determination and economic growth
The Federal government’s upcoming National Electricity Strategy will outline a plan to double the capacity of Canada’s electricity grid to meet growing demand by 2050. One of the fundamental requirements of this strategy is the construction of new, large-scale interprovincial transmission lines. Earlier this month, the Ontario government announced an interprovincial-territorial partnership to build transmission infrastructure needed to power the country’s next generation of growth.
“Every single new transmission line that gets built in Canada will sit on, go through, and impact Indigenous territories,” says Sayers. “The electricity sector is an essential venue for economic reconciliation and Indigenous leadership needs to be understood as the new table stakes for project development.”
Dr. Blake Shaffer, an expert in electricity markets and advisor to Indigenous Power Coalition, emphasizes that Indigenous leadership also improves the efficiency and risk profile of electricity projects themselves.
“There is increasing appetite for Indigenous-led electricity projects, particularly from investors, because they offer greater certainty that things will get built more smoothly and with better outcomes for communities and the environment,” says Shaffer. “Indigenous leadership is essential to modernizing Canada’s electricity system, which the growth of our economy depends on.”
Creating a collaborative environment for coalition-building and decision-making
While Indigenous leadership and equity ownership in clean electricity projects has increased over the past 20 years, more work is needed to support Nations in taking the wheel on major electricity projects, particularly those that span large geographies such as transmission lines.
Indigenous Power Coalition plays two key roles. First, it identifies potential projects and convenes Nations around these opportunities, creating the conditions for collaboration across territories. Second, it sources best-in-class expertise – such as technical modelers, legal and regulatory experts, and experienced financial professionals – to provide Nations with decision-useful information.
“Nations with an interest in pursuing project leadership are going to come to the table with important questions about financing, risk, and equity models. Our role is to support them in getting answers to those questions so that they can make decisions, individually and together, that best serve their needs and interests,” says Sayers.
Initial focus: Interprovincial transmission in western Canada
Indigenous Power Coalition is focusing its initial efforts on Nation-led interprovincial electricity transmission opportunities across western Canada. “Indigenous leadership has a comparative advantage in this particular infrastructure,” Shaffer explains. “Nations can transcend provincial borders that have historically been an obstacle to interprovincial connections.”
“Transmission lines are more than technical connectors; they are strategic tools that allow Nations to shape regional energy futures,”says Sayers. “When Nations lead they influence key decisions — ensuring that transmission development aligns with community values and long-term stewardship responsibilities.”
In the past nine months, Indigenous Power Coalition has been bringing together experts across the electricity sector with Nations in both Alberta and British Columbia to explore Indigenous-led opportunities for interprovincial transmission.
“Ultimately, we’re here to provide Nations with the support they need to become project leaders and owners,” says Sayers. “Our only stake in these projects is to see Nations succeed.”
