At the end of January, the polar vortex brought bitter cold temperatures to the Upper Midwest of the United States. Some parts of northern Minnesota hit -45°F temperatures with wind chills down to -65°F. The record-setting low temperatures and frigid wind chills posed a safety and reliability threat to the region’s people and infrastructure alike. Continue reading »
GPI 20th Anniversary Leadership Interview Series: Vice President Doug Scott, Electricity and Efficiency
February 12, 2019 in Energy Systems Author: Gail Nosek
Over the last year, the Great Plains Institute (GPI) celebrated our 20th anniversary as an organization dedicated to transforming the energy system to benefit the economy and environment. As GPI staff, partners, and supporters reflect on the progress we’ve made together and look ahead to future opportunities for even greater impact in 2019 and beyond, we’re sharing a Q&A series we’ve created with our CEO and program leadership team. Continue reading »
GPI Staff Picks for Winter 2019: What We’re Reading, Listening To, and Watching
February 11, 2019 in Communities, Energy Systems Author: Jennifer Christensen
This is a regular blog series where GPI staff share picks throughout the year of what we’re interested in right now, from podcasts to analysis (click here for our previous picks).
System Design for a High-Renewables Future: Insights from the MN Solar Pathways Analysis
January 14, 2019 in Communities, Energy Systems Author: Brian Ross
If sunlight strikes a solar panel, but we don’t use the electricity generated, is it “wasted”? In some parts of the country, so much solar energy is produced at midday that there is no use for it. Demand for electricity has already been fully met by solar and other sources of generation; the value of additional electricity on the grid is actually negative. Continue reading »
Energy Storage: Reflecting on Progress and Finding New Opportunities
December 12, 2018 in Carbon Management, Energy Systems Author: Matt Prorok
2018 has been a big year for energy storage in the Midwest and across the country. Between the hundreds of megawatts (MW) that have been deployed and are now operational to the detailed policy work to enable the next wave of business models, there has been no shortage of work for energy storage wonks. Continue reading »
Opportunities to Increase Small Business Engagement on Energy
December 11, 2018 in Communities, Energy Systems Authors: Jordana Palmer, Matt Kazinka, Trevor Drake
In 2014, we wrote about “A New Approach to Small Business Energy Efficiency,” in which we described the unique barriers—time, knowledge, and trust—that small businesses face in identifying and enacting energy efficiency improvements. We proposed that the best solution may not be a technological one, but a social one—partnering with individuals who have existing relationships with small businesses in their community and training them as “energy coaches” who can provide the commitment, information, and trust that resource-limited business owners require. Continue reading »
New Report Shows that Solar, Wind, and Storage Can Competitively Power a Majority of MN Electric Needs
November 15, 2018 in Energy Systems, News & Press, Reports & Whitepapers Author: Brian Ross
GPI is proud to be a contributor to the newly released Solar Potential Analysis Report for the MN Solar Pathways initiative. The report shows that Minnesota can produce 10 percent of its electricity from solar by 2025 and 70 percent from solar and wind by 2050 at generation costs comparable to natural gas. Continue reading »
GPI Receives 2018 Nonprofit Partner Award from the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association
November 14, 2018 in Communities, Energy Systems, News & Press Author: Gail Nosek
The Great Plains Institute (GPI) is proud to be recognized by the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA) with the 2018 MnSEIA Nonprofit Partner Award. GPI President and CEO Rolf Nordstrom accepted the award at MnSEIA’s annual conference this week. Continue reading »
Visualizing Pathways to Decarbonization of the Midcontinent’s Electricity Sector
September 25, 2018 in Energy Systems, Reports & Whitepapers Author: Dane McFarlane
The Great Plains Institute recently released A Road Map to Decarbonization in the Midcontinent Electricity Sector as part of its work with the Midcontinent Power Sector Collaborative, a diverse group of stakeholders including investor-owned utilities, merchant power companies, electric cooperatives, environmental groups, and state regulators.
The road map is the first-of-its-kind for any region in the US and was developed by the collaborative to provide utilities, policy makers, and stakeholders with a better sense of what will be needed to inform sound near-term decisions that position the region to meet the challenges ahead.
Assisting States and Stakeholders in the Complicated Work of Grid Modernization
September 19, 2018 in Energy Systems Author: Doug Scott
The e21 Initiative has not only provided valuable leadership in shaping a 21st century electric system in Minnesota, it’s created opportunities for utilities in the Midwest and both US coasts to learn from the process. Continue reading »
