Our story
The Juan de Fuca Cable Project is not a new idea. Between 2004 and 2012, an experienced developer team brought it to the brink of construction — full federal permits on both sides of the border, interconnection specifications complete with both utilities, and a $170M equity commitment in hand. Boundless Energy LLC is carrying that foundation forward.
Timeline
2004
OriginAgency and stakeholder consultation with American and Canadian regulators begins in September 2004 under the Sea Breeze Pacific Juan de Fuca Cable, LP joint venture — a partnership between Sea Breeze Power Corp. of Vancouver, BC and Boundless Energy NW of York Harbor, Maine.
2005
Sea Breeze submits its application to Canada's National Energy Board in November 2005, initiating the public-interest review and a federal hearing process on the Canadian side.
2006
The Sea Breeze Victoria Converter Corporation distributes plain-language overview materials to communities in BC and Washington, framing the cable in terms of grid reliability and regional benefit. The marine corridor and landfalls are identified.
2007
PermitsBy March 2007, the National Energy Board has approved the project, with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act review complete. Provincial permitting — including a License of Occupation application for the Fleming Bay nearshore corridor — moves into active review.
2007–2010
Sustained work on the U.S. side: NEPA environmental review, BPA interconnection specifications, BCTC interconnection specifications, route hearings, and agreements with landowners and crossing parties (rail, municipalities, First Nations).
2010
Shovel-readyThe DOE Loan Guarantee Application executive summary describes the project as shovel-ready: NEPA Final Environmental Impact Statement complete, U.S. Department of Energy Presidential Permit issued, interconnection specifications complete with both BPA and BCTC, all major environmental permits and regulatory authorizations in hand.
2010
FinancingEnergy Investors Funds Group commits $170 million through its United States Power Fund — approximately 26% of the $650 million estimated total project cost. Construction was projected at 24 months from financing close.
2011–2012
Strategic work continues — revised NEB application materials, BPA and BC Hydro negotiations, and ongoing First Nations consultation including with the Songhees First Nation — indicating active development beyond the loan guarantee application.
Today
RevivalBoundless Energy LLC carries the project forward, building on the regulatory foundation, the technical work, and the relationships established during the original development phase. The cable is once again a real opportunity for the Pacific Northwest grid.
Credibility
Cross-border energy infrastructure lives or dies on its credibility. Here is what the JdF Cable Project already has on the table.
The original Boundless team previously developed Project Neptune — the 660 MW HVDC submarine link between New York and New Jersey, which has been operating successfully since 2007. The Juan de Fuca Cable Project was conceived as a direct application of that experience to the West Coast.
ABB was the anticipated EPC contractor and the originator of HVDC Light® voltage-source converter technology. The same family of systems has been deployed in CrossSound (US), Murraylink (Australia), Estlink (Estonia–Finland), Gotland (Sweden), and dozens of subsequent projects.
The Energy Investors Funds Group commitment was not a letter of interest. EIF's United States Power Fund — a major institutional investor in U.S. energy infrastructure — committed $170 million in equity on the basis of the project's regulatory standing and economic case.
Cross-border, multi-jurisdictional energy infrastructure normally takes a decade or more to permit. The project's existing record — Presidential Permit, NEPA Final EIS, NEB approval, dual interconnection specifications — is a foundation that no new entrant can replicate in the timeframe the grid needs.
More on the team and the broader portfolio at boundlessenergyllc.com(opens in a new tab).
Boundless Energy LLC is actively engaging with investors, agencies, utilities, and partner organizations to revive the project. We'd like to hear from anyone who wants to see it built.