Cities Across Minnesota Are Becoming EV Smart

August 25, 2023 in Communities, Transportation & Fuels Authors: Alejandro Nakpil, Diana McKeown

Green electric vehicle charging sign

This blog was updated from a blog originally authored by Diana McKeown on November 15, 2022. 

In November of 2022, the Great Plains Institute launched the EV Smart program in Minnesota. EV Smart is a voluntary certification and recognition program funded by the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Clean Transportation Pilot Program. GPI designed EV Smart to provide communities with a road map to electric vehicle (EV) readiness and help them equitably achieve their EV-readiness goals through technical assistance and a peer cohort model.   Continue reading »

DOE Selects Awardees to Deploy Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs

August 11, 2023 in Carbon Management, Energy Systems Author: Ben Finzel

The following statement may be attributed to Patrice Lahlum, vice president of Carbon Management (interim) at the Great Plains Institute:

“The Great Plains Institute welcomes today’s announcement by the US Department of Energy (DOE) of their selection of two commercial-scale and 19 early-stage projects for award negotiations for the Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs program. This selection is pivotal for advancing the development and implementation of direct air capture (DAC) technologies essential for curbing US carbon emissions and achieving midcentury climate goals. Continue reading »

GPI Announces New Vision, Mission, and Values

August 10, 2023 in News & Press Author: Rolf Nordstrom


I’m pleased to announce the Great Plains Institute’s new vision, mission, and values, which reflect how GPI has grown as an organization and describe the world we’re trying to bring about.

Our new vision is an equitable net-zero carbon economy.

Our new mission is to accelerate the transition to net-zero carbon emissions for the benefit of people, the economy, and the environment.

Our new values—trusted, equitable, inclusive, pragmatic, and transformative—are at the core of our culture and key to our impact.

I invite you to watch our short video, which describes why we’ve revised our mission, vision, and values and what they mean to us. It also describes the monumental opportunity we see to help communities, states, utilities, and other key actors implement clean energy at an unprecedented speed and scale while ensuring that the jobs, wealth creation opportunities, and human health benefits of this global transition are accessible to all.

Keep up to date with news from GPI by signing up for our monthly newsletter.

Capturing Carbon at Industrial Facilities Leads to Billions of Dollars in Annual US Health Benefits

August 7, 2023 in Carbon Management, News & Press Author: Ben Finzel

First-of-its-kind study quantifies health impact of the co-benefits of reducing other air pollutants with carbon capture technologies

August 7, 2023, MINNEAPOLIS—Installing technologies designed to capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial and power facilities has the potential to result in billions of annual health benefits nationwide. These health benefits are directly tied to the reduction of other air pollutants that would also be removed in a carbon capture system, according to a first-of-its-kind study—Carbon Capture Co-benefits: Carbon Capture’s Role in Removing Pollutants and Reducing Health Impacts—from the Great Plains Institute and Carbon Solutions, LLC.

Continue reading »

Minnesota Approves Comprehensive Statewide Electric Vehicle Readiness Assistance

May 24, 2023 in News & Press, Transportation & Fuels Author: Darren Goode

 Budget deals significantly elevate state’s effort to expand transportation electrification

May 24, 2023, MINNEAPOLIS—Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has signed into law a sweeping set of first-time incentives and other funding approved by the state legislature that significantly elevates the state’s efforts to expand transportation electrification.    Continue reading »

Minnesota Approves Clean Transportation Standard Working Group In Budget Deal

May 23, 2023 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Darren Goode

Adds momentum toward finalizing nation’s strongest standard next year

May 23, 2023, MINNEAPOLIS—Taking decisive action to move Minnesota to the forefront of national transportation policy, the Minnesota State Legislature has approved funding for consideration of a statewide clean transportation standard, following a concerted push by a diverse coalition of automakers, electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers and charging providers, biofuel producers, and clean energy and conservation advocates. Continue reading »

The State of Solar: Insights on Distributed Solar Installations in Minnesota

May 11, 2023 in Renewable Energy Authors: Monika Vadali, Rachel Percy

Local governments are setting aggressive climate and clean energy goals in Minnesota. Encouraging distributed solar energy will play a key role in meeting them. The Great Plains Institute (GPI) has conducted an analysis of Minnesota Public Utilities Commission data on where and what types of distributed solar installations are occurring in the state. Continue reading »