About Andersen Corporation
Andersen Corporation is a 113 year-old Minnesota window and door manufacturing company located on the scenic St. Croix River. According to its website, the company was founded by Danish immigrant Hans Andersen and his family in Hudson, Wisconsin. Andersen is one of the most prominent window manufacturing companies in the country; most people have, or know someone who has Andersen Windows in their home or business. Continue reading »
Recent analysis done by the Great Plains Institute (GPI) has found that electric vehicles in Minnesota provide a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction of at least 61% in most cases (Xcel Energy electric mix) and 95% in many cases (for vehicle charging on renewable energy subscription programs). Continue reading »
A TEN TIMES increase in monthly sales of Nissan Leafs?! Continue reading »
Many states are considering mass-based allowance trading programs to meet the federal requirements under the Clean Power Plan (CPP). Under a mass-based trading approach, states work with a certain number of allowances, or an allowance “budget,” that matches the total emissions limit for each year of the program. States have many options for allocating the allowances that power plants will need to cover their carbon dioxide emissions. Continue reading »
In Minnesota, GPI convenes a stakeholder effort called the e21 Initiative that recommends, in part, shifting toward a more performance-based regulatory approach to determine how electric utilities in the state are compensated.
Recently, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission discussed performance-based regulation (commonly referred to as PBR) with expert Sonia Aggarwal, Director of Strategy at Energy Innovation. Ms. Aggarwal and the commissioners had an interesting discussion (see summary here) that raised key issues about how a PBR approach would work and its implications. Continue reading »
The Great Plains Institute (GPI) has been working with a number of states, industry, non-profit advocates, and institutions helping states to understand and develop strategies for implementing the federal Clean Power Plan. Continue reading »
MINNEAPOLIS – Great Plains Institute (GPI) President & CEO Rolf Nordstrom announced today that Jess Jellings has joined GPI as a meeting planner and administrative assistant. Continue reading »
Recently, top coal, electric power, oil, ethanol, and other companies, key industrial labor unions and prominent national environmental and climate organizations joined forces for the first time in calling on Congress to support a federal incentive for carbon capture and storage (CCS) that would simultaneously increase domestic oil production and reduce carbon emissions. Continue reading »
A problem that is often raised during Minnesota public policy discussions is that state government is not truly representative of Minnesota’s population, especially as the makeup of the state is rapidly changing. The Great Plains Institute (GPI) is serving as a host organization for a new public policy internship program that aims to begin to address this challenge. The Capitol Pathways internship program is organized by the Citizens League and places college students of color in nonprofits, government agencies, and lobbying firms during the Minnesota legislative session. Continue reading »
In 2013, the State of Minnesota enacted 216B.1641 Community Solar Garden, which established the Xcel Energy Community Solar Garden Program. This program brought a lot of excitement to the Minnesota solar industry, leading to an influx of solar developers and long queue of solar garden applications. Because the program is new and has generated a lot of interest, there have been a few bumps along the way. Continue reading »
