Every two years, the Clean Energy Resource Teams, or CERTs, issues a request for proposal (RFP) to provide seed funding to clean energy projects across Minnesota. The seed grant RFP for 2022 is now out and applications are due at 4 p.m. on October 8, 2021. The RFP details everything you need to know, including eligibility, contractual terms, materials and submission information, the timeline, review process, and the regional criteria and preferences. Continue reading »
The Great Plains Institute, the University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (RSDP), COPAL MN, and the Minnesota Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) were awarded a Conservation Applied Research and Development (CARD) grant by the Minnesota Department of Commerce in January 2021. Continue reading »
As utilities and regulators anticipate increased electric vehicle (EV) adoption, they’re assessing how to prepare the electric distribution grid for the additional load. Recent work by the Great Plains Institute (GPI) points to the potential distribution grid benefits of pairing solar production with managed EV charging. Using a newly updated tool from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), GPI explored this value proposition by examining EV charging scenarios alongside solar production. Continue reading »
Planners can now explore a database of climate ordinances in the United States using a new web-based tool developed by the Great Plains Institute (GPI). GPI has been working with two divisions of the American Planning Association—the American Planning Association Sustainable Communities Division and the American Planning Association Environment, Natural Resources and Energy Division—to identify and help develop tools for planners working on climate change in their local communities. Continue reading »
As Minnesota cities work to make progress on energy and climate goals, their efforts may run into a state-level barrier to higher building energy code standards. Seven cities in Minnesota are working together to engage other city leaders across the state to address this barrier by seeking higher energy building standards at the state level for commercial and large multifamily buildings. The Great Plains Institute is leading city engagement in support of this effort as part of a public-private partnership.
The Sustainable States Network has a brand-new online presence to showcase its growing impact on sustainability and clean energy at the local and state levels, and across an increasing footprint in the US. The new website, SustainableStates.net, provides information about the network, specific state programs, and how large, medium, and small local governments are putting sustainability on the local policy agenda and taking action on thousands of clean energy goals. Continue reading »
As most things in 2020, the Metro Clean Energy Resource Team (CERT) at the Great Plains Institute made our 13th Annual Resource and Networking Event virtual, minus the networking part. We rescheduled the event from April 30 to October 1, hoping we would be able to meet in person by the fall. Of course, that was not in the cards. We shifted the topic of the event from electrification to rebuilding efforts in Minneapolis following the killing of George Floyd while in police custody on May 23.
The City of Red Wing, Minnesota, adopted its climate action work plan (CAWP) in early August, which the city developed with the Great Plains Institute using our new, more agile approach to climate planning. The CAWP is a shorter version of a climate action plan, enabling Red Wing to make progress on near-term priorities that go toward its long-term goal of reducing emissions by 80 percent on or before 2040, without getting overwhelmed by a long list of actions. Red Wing is the first city to adopt the CAWP approach developed by GPI; our hope is that more cities—especially small and mid-size cities—use this as a more manageable path to accelerate effective climate action. Continue reading »
My name is Kehinde Bello and this past spring I interned with the Great Plains Institute, where I assisted with GPI’s work as a partner of the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program. Through this internship, I not only made connections with mentors and colleagues, but I also learned how collaborative community engagement can lead to a more significant impact. Continue reading »
The Great Plains Institute is engaging local governments across the Upper Midwest on long-term planning for renewable energy. As part of this effort, we developed a guide to provide communities in Michigan with an overview of long-term utility- and community-scale solar and wind development—systems sized one megawatt (MW) or greater. Continue reading »
