XEITL - Powering Tlingit Territory

XEITL, whose name means “lightning” in Tlingit, owns and operates the micro-hydro facility that has powered Atlin since April 2009, with a 2.1 MW capacity generating over 5 GWh of electricity a year.

Wholly owned and operated by the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, it was one of the first small hydroelectric projects in Canada under full First Nation ownership, ending the community’s dependence on diesel generators.

Since coming online, the plant has run reliably under a 25-year power purchase agreement with BC Hydro. XEITL’s success laid the foundation for the Atlin Hydro Expansion Project now being advanced by its sister company, THEL.