Today, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz directed state agencies to explore ways to reduce climate change impacts from transportation fuels in a way that is market-driven and fuel-neutral, according to a news release from the State of Minnesota. Led by the Minnesota departments of Agriculture and Transportation, the process will engage a broad cross-section of stakeholders statewide to identify shared goals and opportunities that will help to inform what a Clean Fuels Standard could look like in Minnesota. The agencies will provide a report summarizing the results and recommendations in February 2022, according to the release. Continue reading »
GPI Statements on Nomination of Brad Crabtree to U.S. Department of Energy
September 2, 2021 in Carbon Management, News & Press Author: Rebecca LentzStatement from Rolf Nordstrom, President & CEO, Great Plains Institute
Today we learned that President Biden’s Administration has nominated Great Plains Institute’s Brad Crabtree as Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management within the Department of Energy. Brad has spent nearly two decades at GPI, working to build broad consensus around energy policies that meet our climate obligations and maintain a strong economy—and then see those policies enacted. He has played an outsized role in making carbon capture in all its forms part of the nation’s arsenal of emissions reductions strategies that also bring economic opportunity.
Why Fulfilling Our “Justice For All” Pledge Is Savvy Business and Key to a Net-Zero Carbon Economy
August 4, 2021 in News & Press Author: Rolf NordstromThis blog was originally published by Forbes Business Council.
Most of us remember reciting the Pledge of Allegiance each school day, ending with “and liberty and justice for all.” But what does justice mean in practice? What does it have to do with climate change? And why should business and the growing throng of people, institutions and governments pushing for a net-zero carbon economy care? Continue reading »
Great Plains Institute Joins More than 160 Labor Unions, Conservation and Environmental NGOs, and Industry Organizations to Urge Congress to Scale Carbon Management Priorities
August 3, 2021 in Carbon Management, News & Press Author: Rebecca Lentz(Washington, DC) – Today, Great Plains Institute joined more than 160 companies, labor unions, conservation and environmental groups, and other organizations from around the nation in a letter to Congressional leaders urging the inclusion of a comprehensive suite of bipartisan carbon management policies in any larger legislative vehicle this Congress. Continue reading »
Report: Decarbonizing Minnesota’s Natural Gas End Uses
July 13, 2021 in Energy Systems, News & Press, Reports & Whitepapers Author: Trevor DrakeNatural 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 »
An equitable energy transition is a moral necessity. Implementing equitable climate solutions is not just the right thing to do; it is essential to achieving our goals. Climate change and racial inequities often are discussed as if they were separate issues. In truth, they are deeply intertwined. Continue reading »
Not Your Grandparents’ Infrastructure: What Businesses Should Be Thinking About
June 14, 2021 in News & Press Author: Rolf NordstromGPI President and CEO Rolf Nordstrom wrote “Not Your Grandparents’ Infrastructure: What Businesses Should Be Thinking About” for the Forbes Business Council website where it was originally published.
“Infrastructure” is like the tofu of buzzwords — it doesn’t express much by itself. Given the transformational infrastructure investments under consideration in the U.S., it’s worth thinking about what kinds of 21st-century infrastructure we need and what they would make possible for businesses and for society as a whole. I’ll wager it’s different than you think. Continue reading »
How Companies Can Help Create a Net-Zero Carbon Economy
May 12, 2021 in News & Press Author: Rolf NordstromGPI President and CEO Rolf Nordstrom wrote “How Companies Can Help Create a Net-Zero Carbon Economy” for the Forbes Business Council website where it was originally published.
Eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from our economy has taken on an air of inevitability. Now it’s just about how fast, who benefits, who pays and what a net-zero carbon economy will be like in practice. Continue reading »
GPI Releases Statement on US Carbon Emissions Reduction Target
April 22, 2021 in News & Press Author: Rebecca LentzMINNEAPOLIS—The Great Plains Institute released the following statement today, which can be attributed to GPI President and CEO Rolf Nordstrom, on the newly announced target to cut US carbon emissions in half by 2030:
“The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today is higher than ever in human history, making it all the more urgent for nations of the world to act with urgency to usher in a prosperous net-zero carbon economy that benefits all. More and more people, businesses, cities, states, and countries that account for 70 percent of global GDP, know we must cut emissions in half by the end of the decade if there is any hope of protecting both our environment and economy. Continue reading »
From the CEO: We Must Create a Just and Racism-Free World
April 21, 2021 in News & Press Author: Rolf NordstromWith the rest of the world, we waited nervously for the outcome of the trial of the officer who killed George Floyd. We hope that the jury’s guilty verdict brings some measure of peace and accountability to Mr. Floyd’s family, friends and community, knowing that there is no compensation for their loss, or his. Continue reading »