Xcel Energy explored increasing its demand response portfolio by 50 percent with Minnesota stakeholders from 2017-2019. The results highlight considerations for utilities looking to deploy larger portfolios of advanced demand response. This blog, the first in a three-part series, shares demand response design principles and filing objectives developed by stakeholders to inform Xcel Energy’s planning for new demand response programs. Continue reading »
I am excited to share that my colleagues and I have developed a new approach for cities to achieve their energy and climate goals more quickly and affordably: climate action work plans. These work plans are intended to support cities in setting near-term targets by creating an implementation schedule with specific steps for completing high-impact actions. Continue reading »
Great Plains Institute President and CEO Rolf Nordstrom will serve a two-year term on the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Sustainable Transportation Advisory Council. Continue reading »
What if we could harness the energy produced by the sun and maximize its potential to power electric vehicles (EVs) with zero-carbon electricity? That’s exactly what GPI has been working on in a pilot project that studies how managed EV charging can pull varying levels of power from the solar panels on our rooftop based on how much solar is being produced at a given time. This ability to use “solar synchronization” could have big implications for reducing carbon emissions in both the electricity and transportation sectors, and presents potential benefits for consumers and businesses alike. Continue reading »
The Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy Initiative, facilitated by the Great Plains Institute, has released a new report detailing how a successful clean fuels policy for the Midwest should be designed. Continue reading »
The calendar has turned to 2020 and the carbon capture industry is still waiting on the US Department of the Treasury to release additional guidance on the implementation of the reformed and expanded 45Q credit. Continue reading »
In advance of the 2020 legislative session, the Bioeconomy Coalition of Minnesota sent a letter to Governor Tim Walz expressing concern about the funding shortfall in the state’s Bioincentive Program.
Following a stakeholder engagement process facilitated by the Great Plains Institute in 2018, Xcel Energy received approval and is moving forward in Minnesota with new electric vehicle (EV) pilot programs.
As investor-owned electric utilities seek to meet the needs of shareholders, consumers, and the environment, EVs offer a unique opportunity. If implemented carefully, utility investments in EV infrastructure and programs can provide a series of benefits, including new sources of utility revenue, better services for EV drivers, reduced costs for all consumers by making the electric system more efficient, and reduced pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading »
As 2019 comes to a close, we are met with the stark realization that the new year marks the beginning of the most important juncture in the history of our climate, planet, and civilization. The 2020s will define the future of both humanity and planet Earth as our society must take profound action to confront the climate crisis or the world that we have known—both natural and economic—will change drastically. Continue reading »
Game-changing technology that models the lowest-cost, best placement, and most effective use of carbon capture, transport, and storage has earned a prestigious research and development award. A technology that happens to be at the heart of GPI’s work on carbon capture for the past few years. Continue reading »
