When it comes to communities taking action to accelerate sustainability, the peer cohort model is proven to be successful time and time again because it allows people to learn together and learn from each other. To build on that success, the Great Plains Institute (GPI) and the Clean Energy Resources Teams (CERTs) are creating a network of Minnesota cities focused on identifying and overcoming barriers to renewable energy procurement.
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Value of Utility-Owned Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Highlighted in DTE Rate Case
June 13, 2019 in Energy Systems Author: Jamie Scripps
The Michigan Public Service Commission recently approved DTE Energy’s request to develop a 34 MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant on the campus of Ford Motor Company’s Research and Engineering Center.¹ This project highlights how ownership of CHP facilities can be a valuable option in a utility’s resource planning and can bring economic and environmental benefits for the utility and its customers over the long term. Due to their size, high efficiency, and grid benefits, utility-owned CHP projects likely offer a better deal to ratepayers than the construction of traditional central power stations. Continue reading »
Electrifying the Family Road Trip
June 10, 2019 in Energy Systems, Transportation & Fuels Author: Gail Nosek
The American Automobile Association (AAA) expects 100 million Americans and more than 50 percent of families to pack up the car for a road trip this summer (even more than last year).
In Minnesota, the popular trip ‘Up North’ to Lake Superior is the first to go fully electric with the Interstate 35 corridor now boasting enough chargers to power any electric vehicle (EV) from the Twin Cities to Duluth. Historic Highway 61, made famous by Bob Dylan’s acoustics, is also now electrified with chargers located near popular recreational and historic stops. Continue reading »
Combined Heat and Power’s (CHP) Reliability Recognized in Recent Actions by Midwestern Regulators and Utilities
June 3, 2019 in Energy Systems Author: Jamie Scripps
Recent regulatory decisions in Michigan and other Midwestern states indicate a growing recognition of combined heat and power (CHP) facilities’ demonstrated reliability. The decisions impact the rates and fees charged to CHP systems due to their potential need for standby service (i.e., backup service) and are important steps toward increased financial viability of CHP facilities in the region. As other states look to encourage CHP facilities, these recent actions can provide examples of aligning rates and fees more closely to actual CHP performance. Continue reading »
GPI Announces New Partnership with Midwest Energy Research Consortium
May 15, 2019 in Energy Systems, News & Press Author: Gail Nosek
The Great plains Institue is excited to announce a new partnership with the Midwest Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC) that aims to help prepare the State of Wisconsin to meet energy distribution challenges of the 21st Century. Read the official press release from M-WERC below.
The Market is Demanding Carbon-Free Electricity
May 15, 2019 in Energy Systems Author: Rolf Nordstrom
Recent, bold actions by some of Minnesota’s largest companies, many of which have a national or global presence, reveal a lot about the expected reliability and cost-savings of an increasingly carbon-free electric system in the Midwest and the nation. Continue reading »
Event Preview: An Expert Workshop for States and Stakeholders in the PJM Region
May 14, 2019 in Energy Systems, News & Press Author: Jill Syvrud
Join the Great Plains Institute and the Nicholas Institute at Duke University in Lexington, Kentucky on June 12, 2019, as we present an expert workshop for states and stakeholders to discuss important issues in the PJM region in 2019. Continue reading »
Stakeholders Find Common Ground on Minnesota Power Time-Varying Rate Options
April 30, 2019 in Energy Systems Author: Trevor Drake
A recent stakeholder engagement process facilitated by the e21 Initiative (which is co-convened by the Great Plains Institute and Center for Energy and Environment) in collaboration with Minnesota Power proves that stakeholders can find agreement on rate designs that seek to elicit customer, system, and environmental benefits. Continue reading »
How Should Xcel Energy’s Electric Utility Performance be Measured? Report Summarizes Initial Perspectives
April 13, 2019 in Energy Systems Author: Trevor Drake
A recent report summarizes initial stakeholder perspectives around what should be measured to assess Xcel Energy’s electric utility performance in the 21st century. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is accepting initial comments on this matter until May 6.
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e21 Forum Focuses on Integrated Systems Planning for a Decarbonized Electric System in Minnesota
March 4, 2019 in Energy Systems Authors: Jordana Palmer, Trevor Drake
Beginning in 2019, Minnesota’s three investor-owned utilities will file resource plans that will chart a path into a time period of significant change and opportunity. With nearly all the state’s power sector CO2 emissions coming from fossil-fuel plants that are retiring or potentially retiring in the next 20 years, the state has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a transformation towards decarbonized electricity generation. Continue reading »
