The US power grid faces a perfect storm—aging, underfunded infrastructure, extreme weather fueled by climate change, and a changing electricity generation portfolio. Experts warned earlier this year that huge regions of the US could have shortfalls in the power supply during times of high demand, which could lead to rolling blackouts. While blackouts haven’t occurred thus far, the system remains vulnerable to extreme weather events. Continue reading »
The recent approval of a slate of long-range transmission lines in the Midwest moves the US closer to realizing a reliable, resilient grid for a net-zero carbon economy. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) Board of Directors unanimously approved the $10.3 billion grid expansion that will increase grid reliability, lower system costs, and remove barriers to renewable energy projects waiting for grid interconnection. Continue reading »
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers unveiled the state’s comprehensive clean energy plan this week. The Great Plains Institute played a key role in assisting the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy in developing the plan. Continue reading »
At the end of 2020, the Great Plains Institute and BlueGreen Alliance convened stakeholders across Minnesota to address the interrelated challenges of the economic impact of a global pandemic, longstanding racial disparities, and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The group, Building Economic Resilience Through Clean Energy and Equity in Minnesota (BERCEE), brought together representatives from labor, energy, business, environmental organizations, tribal nations, and state and local governments. Continue reading »
New electricity market rule changes will help hybrid resource projects advance in the Midcontinent region. The changes provide methods to determine hybrid resources’ capacity value, a vital metric for maintaining the reliability of the region’s electric grid. Since hybrid resources can combine multiple electricity generation technologies and storage devices, they are an important opportunity to increase carbon-free energy in the region. Continue reading »
Natural gas is an important energy source for Minnesota’s homes and businesses. But it’s also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. So what do we do?
July 13, 2020, Minneapolis — Natural gas used in homes and businesses is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in Minnesota, and has been increasing over the last 15 years. These rising emissions threaten our ability to meet state emissions reduction goals. At the same time, natural gas is an especially important fuel in our state, providing heat for most of our buildings and fueling many of our largest businesses. To better understand the complex challenges around reducing emissions from natural gas in Minnesota, the nonprofits Center for Energy and Environment and the Great Plains Institute brought together a broad coalition of stakeholders, including gas and electric utilities, labor representatives, and clean energy advocates. Continue reading »
Over the last year, GPI has convened an informal group of Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) stakeholders to discuss market rule needs for hybrid resources. Through this work we’ve been able to develop and present a set of specific recommendations to MISO to define how hybrid resources will participate in its energy and capacity markets.
Stakeholder Group Report Recommends Key Steps for Modernizing Maine’s Electric Grid
For Immediate Release: April 14, 2021
Media Contacts:
Jeremy Cluchey, [email protected], 207-233–2795
Rebecca Lentz, [email protected], 612-978-2849
BRUNSWICK, MAINE — A stakeholder group representing environmental nonprofits, renewable energy developers, electric utilities, consumer advocates, and other energy sector stakeholders has issued a set of nine consensus-based recommendations for steps to plan, build, and operate the electric grid that is needed to meet Maine’s recently established climate and energy requirements. Continue reading »
Federal investments can create jobs, promote equity, and reduce emissions
Diverse stakeholders draft 32 recommendations around increasing equitable opportunity, reducing greenhouse gases.
Great Plains Institute is excited to publish a new white paper, Best Practices for Standby Rates for Combined Heat and Power (CHP), prepared for GPI by Jamie Scripps of Hunterston Consulting. This paper is a culmination of a years-long collaboration with Jamie and other partners to address barriers to deployment of CHP systems in the Midwest—including the design of standby rates, which are monthly charges to customers with on-site distributed generation like CHP systems. We are grateful for the thoughtful contributions of Carl Linvill of the Regulatory Assistance Project in advising on the starting point for this research, and for his review of the final product. Continue reading »
