Darcy Wood

By instigating the passing of social finance tool-enabling legislation, Darcy is making indigenous energy sovereignty a reality in Canada. Aki’s innovative on-bill financing system has helped pay the capital costs of $10 million in ground-source heat pumps on four Manitoba First Nations without any government funding. Each of the nearly 500 systems installed reduces energy load requirements by 20,000kWh per year – numbers that have the potential to skyrocket as this approach is implemented across the country. By training and mentoring previously unemployed community members, their model delivers social and economic benefits, supports the creation of local social enterprises and prevents economic benefits of the projects from leaking outside of the community.