FEBRUARY 15, 2023, MINNEAPOLIS—Stormwater management practices, permitting, and regulations at solar sites often do not account for the unique characteristics of large-scale solar installations, a new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded study has found. Continue reading »
Find out what made our list of most-read stories in 2022, which includes posts we’ve published over the last year and a half. Continue reading »
The US Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technology Office recently awarded $1.8 million to GPI to lead a new nature-based solutions project, Designing & Deploying Solar Community Ecosystem Benefits. The award was soon followed by newly announced federal efforts to expand support for nature-based climate solutions. Continue reading »
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 US Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced two awardees for managing an expansion of the SolSmart program over five years to “increase solar deployment and expand access to clean energy.” The $10 million dollar award is shared by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and the International City/County Management Association. Continue reading »
The site design of a solar project impacts whether a project will improve or negatively impact water quality. Yet solar developers regularly face inconsistent stormwater permitting requirements and standards that were not developed with solar in mind. This can lead to project delay, higher costs, and missed opportunities for environmental benefits. The Photovoltaic Stormwater Research and Testing (PV-SMaRT) project, funded by the US Department of Energy, was created to resolve these issues. Continue reading »
Solar is a ubiquitous, economically-competitive energy resource across much of the United States. In communities with active solar development, there is often debate about how utility-scale solar might affect existing land uses or natural resources. GPI recently analyzed the potential land use impact of solar on agricultural communities in the continental US. Continue reading »
As utilities and regulators anticipate increased electric vehicle (EV) adoption, they’re assessing how to prepare the electric distribution grid for the additional load. Recent work by the Great Plains Institute (GPI) points to the potential distribution grid benefits of pairing solar production with managed EV charging. Using a newly updated tool from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), GPI explored this value proposition by examining EV charging scenarios alongside solar production. Continue reading »
Across the US, states, cities, corporations, and utilities are placing an increased focus on electrification of energy loads as a primary pathway to decarbonization and setting ambitious renewable energy and carbon-free energy targets. This transition will require a major expansion of renewable energy capacity. To help communities prepare for such large-scale development, GPI developed model solar ordinances for five Midwestern states in 2021. In 2024, we have revamped the Illinois model solar ordinance to align with the state’s new Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA).
Bloomington, Ind. (December 21, 2020)—As more Indiana utility companies, businesses, and property owners seek to take advantage of the benefits of renewable energy, local governments in Indiana are looking to make informed decisions about solar and wind energy proposals and future development.
