Located in westernmost China and home to the historic Silk Road that made this region a crossroads of Central Asia, the province of Xinjiang today plays the role of major energy producer, supplying China’s 1.35 billion people and burgeoning economy with fuels, chemicals, fertilizer and other products derived from the province’s abundant coal and oil reserves. If government and industry leaders in Xinjiang and Beijing play their cards right, this region of China can also become a world-class hub for carbon capture and storage, helping China to satisfy its urgent need to expand domestic energy production and to meet it national commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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Biogas Integration for Cellulosic Ethanol Production
November 23, 2015 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Amanda Bilek
As cellulosic ethanol production facilities have come online, anaerobic digesters have been co-located at the plants to recover biogas from soluble residues inherent in the ethanol production process. These soluble residues contain a source of energy that can be recovered using anaerobic digestion, and the captured biogas can help meet process energy needs. Continue reading »
A Look Back at the Energy Innovation Celebration
November 17, 2015 in Carbon Management Author: Will Dunder
The Tesla electric cars arrived before the guests, tires squeaking over the grass of the Nicollet Island Pavilion louder than the whisper quiet motors. During the Great Plains Institute’s inaugural Energy Innovation Celebration, the Teslas were a symbol of progress, but also of the distance left to travel. Continue reading »
Stakeholders Discuss Clean Power Plan Compliance Options in the Midcontinent
November 12, 2015 in Carbon Management Author: Erin Smith
The Bipartisan Policy Center and Great Plains Institute hosted a regional workshop, “The Final Clean Power Plan: Understanding the Options for the Midcontinent,” in Little Rock, AR, on October 19 to discuss compliance options under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan. The workshop was the second in a series of stakeholder workshops in the midcontinent focused on implementing the Clean Power Plan. The event brought together state officials and stakeholders from the region, including those participating in the Midcontinent States Environmental and Energy Regulators group and the Midwestern Power Sector Collaborative. Continue reading »
Ideas ‘Tossed’ Around at Metro CERT Annual Event
November 5, 2015 in Communities Author: Diana McKeown
On October 22nd, over one hundred people attended the 9th annual gathering of the Metro CERT region. As always, the program provided information, connections to resources and networking around community clean energy implementation. This year, participants were also offered the opportunity to provide input on both the Metro CERT priorities over the next two years and the Minnesota 2025 Energy Action Plan. The Great Plains Institute, in partnership with the MN Department of Commerce, the Legislative Energy Commission, and Rocky Mountain Institute, coordinates the 2025 Energy Action Plan. Continue reading »
One of the greatest attributes of biogas is the flexible nature of the resource. It can be generated from a variety of organic feedstocks such as food waste, livestock manure, crop residues, biosolids, or solid waste in a landfill. It is also flexible in the utilization of the gas. Biogas can be burned for electrical generation or heat, cleaned and used as a replacement for natural gas or compressed for use as a vehicle fuel. Continue reading »
If you google “oil reserves” (or natural gas reserves, or coal reserves, or uranium reserves) you will be inundated with data sources, such as the resource map below. There is a whole industry of companies and agencies who track and measure our country’s traditional energy fuel reserves.
On the other hand, if you search for information about solar energy reserves, your result is considerably different. Continue reading »
Made in Minnesota Solar Program Interview with Department of Commerce
September 16, 2015 in Communities Author: Diana McKeown
Diana McKeown: How do you describe the Made in Minnesota Solar Program to people?
Kim Havey: Made in Minnesota (MiM) is a program designed to grow jobs within the solar industry in Minnesota and support the installation of solar PV and thermal for residents and businesses. The program is ideally designed for residential and business rooftop solar installations but also can be used for ground mounted installations, which is ideal for farms. Legislation in 2013 launched MiM, with two existing solar PV manufacturers but now the program includes four Minnesota based PV manufacturers and a broad range of solar modules. Continue reading »
National Drive Electric Week Kick-off a HUGE Success
September 16, 2015 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Amira Hamdon
National Drive Electric Week, September 12-20th, 2015, was dedicated to educating and celebrating all things electric vehicle (EV)!
This nationwide celebration came on the heels of Nissan announcing the 107 mile EPA fuel economy range of the 2016 Nissan Leaf, and the new Tesla P90D is receiving rave reviews among auto enthusiasts. These EVs are gaining the traction they deserve. Continue reading »
Seed Grants Now Available for Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Projects!
September 3, 2015 in Communities Author: Diana McKeown
On August 24, 2015 the Statewide CERTs Partnership, including the Great Plains Institute, released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking applications for limited financial assistance for community-based energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. This funding is for LABOR COSTS ONLY for all seven CERTs regions, which cover the entire state of Minnesota. The primary objective of these funds is to spur action on local clean energy projects.
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