On June 2, 2016, the U.S. Energy Information Administration released a preview of its Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) report for 2016, highlighting a marked increase in its projection of wind and solar generation capacity over the coming decades. Continue reading »
In April 2016, the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs released a report, Transmission Planning and CapX2020; Building Trust to Build Regional Transmission¹, detailing the monumental effort a coalition of eleven Midwestern utilities² undertook from 2004-2012 to design, site, and build 800 miles of new high-voltage transmission lines worth over $2 billion across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The CapX2020 project was as much a feat in cooperation and coordination as it was in transmission capacity expansion. Continue reading »
Nearly 20 leaders from the Woodbury business community attended ENERGY STAR® Community Partner Challenge Kick-Off event held at City Hall in early April. The group included a mix of business representatives, including retail, multi-family housing, office spaces, realtor groups and more. The event demonstrated growing interest among building owners in pursuing energy efficiency goals. 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 »
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 »
Part Two of Our Series on Energy Storage
Energy storage is a hot topic across the country. Rapidly falling prices, improved performance, and a whole lot of investment are creating quite a buzz in the energy storage sector. Continue reading »
If you are plugged into the energy world, you’ve heard by now about the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on FERC Order 745, which concludes that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has the jurisdictional authority to regulate the participation of demand response (DR) resources in wholesale energy markets. Continue reading »
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A set of new electric transmission lines, developed with the help of the Great Plains Institute, is under construction to connect more Midwestern wind power to large cities in the east. The Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator (MISO), which operates the electric grid in the Midwest, has been moving forward with the Multi-Value Project (MVP) portfolio since 2011. Continue reading »
Advanced energy storage systems, like grid-scale batteries, pumped hydroelectric storage, and chemical storage have the potential to bolster renewable energy deployment, improve the efficient use of fossil-fueled power plants, reduce electricity production costs, and increase the grid’s resiliency. Continue reading »
E&E Publishing’s EnergyWire featured an in-depth article, “Initiative Aims to Reinvent Utility Industry the Minnesota Way”, on the e21 Initiative which is co-convened by GPI and is working to “reinvent the utility business model and the regulations and policy that guide it.” Continue reading »
