GPI released the following statement by Brendan Jordan, vice president of transportation and fuels, regarding the shutdown of HOURCAR announced on October 8, 2026:
“GPI extends its sincere appreciation to the team at HOURCAR, its leadership, and its community partners for years of dedicated service to the Twin Cities region. The decision to sunset operations marks a difficult and sad moment for our community. Continue reading »
Experienced nonprofit executive and national climate leader will guide GPI into its next chapter of impact
The Great Plains Institute (GPI) announced today that Lotte Schlegel will become the organization’s next president and CEO, beginning October 19. Continue reading »
As President and CEO Rolf Nordstrom nears his retirement date at the end of this month, we wanted to share an important update on the process to select GPI’s next leader. The search continues to attract strong interest from highly qualified candidates, and GPI’s board of directors has determined that additional time is needed to identify the right leader to guide GPI through its next chapter of growth and impact. Continue reading »
Texas is entering a pivotal moment for carbon management. Growing power demand and the first wave of carbon capture and storage projects are converging in a state with world-class geology, deep energy expertise, and newly secured Class VI primacy for carbon storage permitting.
To help Texas navigate this moment with clarity and coordination, GPI has released the Texas Carbon Management Roadmap, developed with support from the Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation and shaped by the input of nearly 100 Texas-based stakeholders from industry, government, labor, academia, nonprofits, and community organizations.
As we start the countdown to the end of 2025, we’re excited to share our most-read stories from the last year!
From sharing our leading research on critical energy infrastructure to highlighting community-driven clean energy solutions, we’re proud of the impact we’ve made alongside the many partners we’ve collaborated with over the past year. Continue reading »
After nearly three decades of impact-driven growth and consensus-based leadership, the Great Plains Institute (GPI) is launching a national search for its next Chief Executive Officer. Continue reading »
After nearly two decades leading GPI, one of the longest-tenured nonprofit executives in Minnesota, Rolf Nordstrom announced this week that he will retire from the organization on July 31, 2026. Rolf’s time as president and CEO was transformative and was essential to defining the organization’s local and national impact, reach, and leadership in the energy and climate space. Continue reading »
The Great Plains Institute (GPI) announced today that John Lee, retired president and CEO of Barr Engineering Co., has joined its board of directors. Lee brings more than four decades of leadership and engineering experience, including overseeing Barr’s transformation into a 1,000-person firm known for its technical excellence, collaborative culture, and commitment to sustainable infrastructure and environmental innovation. Continue reading »
What tools and resources do local planners and sustainability staff need to address pressing climate issues in their day-to-day work? A new survey from GPI, in partnership with the American Planning Association Sustainable Communities Division and the Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund, aims to answer that and other questions to help guide the development of future tools and resources. Continue reading »
A new report from GPI presents the most in-depth analysis to date of local perspectives on high-voltage transmission, focused on the Great Plains region. It sheds light on why rural opposition emerges and how it can be addressed. Continue reading »
