Minnesota’s landmark climate law requires all utilities to accelerate solar and other renewable energy deployment. But the benefits of wind and solar farms can extend far beyond providing emission-free power, including integration with, and support for, the agricultural economic base of states with extensive farmland similar to Minnesota. Continue reading »
The Better Energy Community is constantly growing and evolving.
Read about our latest projects and successes on our blog.
Inflation Reduction Act Anniversary Highlights Essential Role of Engaging Communities
August 16, 2023 in News & Press Author: Rolf Nordstrom
Although less than a quarter of Americans know much about the Inflation Reduction Act even a year later, it still has the potential to improve people’s lives and transform our energy system and economy for the better. Whether we will realize the full potential of this historic legislation depends on how we approach public engagement, who is at the proverbial table, and what outcomes we’re optimizing for. Continue reading »
GPI’s Electric Vehicle Charging Station Economics Calculator
August 11, 2023 in Energy Systems, Transportation & Fuels Author: Dane McFarlane
This blog was originally published August 15, 2019. The calculator was updated in 2023 to include a mechanism that allows users to input EV charging station customer pricing by the kilowatt-hour instead of only by the minute. Please contact the Transportation & Fuels team with any questions about the calculator. Continue reading »
DOE Selects Awardees to Deploy Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs
August 11, 2023 in Carbon Management, Energy Systems Author: Ben Finzel
The following statement may be attributed to Patrice Lahlum, vice president of Carbon Management (interim) at the Great Plains Institute:
“The Great Plains Institute welcomes today’s announcement by the US Department of Energy (DOE) of their selection of two commercial-scale and 19 early-stage projects for award negotiations for the Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs program. This selection is pivotal for advancing the development and implementation of direct air capture (DAC) technologies essential for curbing US carbon emissions and achieving midcentury climate goals. Continue reading »

I’m pleased to announce the Great Plains Institute’s new vision, mission, and values, which reflect how GPI has grown as an organization and describe the world we’re trying to bring about.
Our new vision is an equitable net-zero carbon economy.
Our new mission is to accelerate the transition to net-zero carbon emissions for the benefit of people, the economy, and the environment.
Our new values—trusted, equitable, inclusive, pragmatic, and transformative—are at the core of our culture and key to our impact.
I invite you to watch our short video, which describes why we’ve revised our mission, vision, and values and what they mean to us. It also describes the monumental opportunity we see to help communities, states, utilities, and other key actors implement clean energy at an unprecedented speed and scale while ensuring that the jobs, wealth creation opportunities, and human health benefits of this global transition are accessible to all.
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Event Preview: Join Us for Our CO2NNECT 2023 Carbon Management Event
August 8, 2023 in Carbon Management, News & Press Author: Diana Leane
Join the Great Plains Institute’s Carbon Action Alliance in New Mexico from Sunday, October 1, to Tuesday, October 3, for CO2NNECT 2023, a three-day event that brings together stakeholders to discuss key themes in carbon management—including public engagement, environmental justice, and community and worker benefits. Continue reading »
Capturing Carbon at Industrial Facilities Leads to Billions of Dollars in Annual US Health Benefits
August 7, 2023 in Carbon Management, News & Press Author: Ben FinzelFirst-of-its-kind study quantifies health impact of the co-benefits of reducing other air pollutants with carbon capture technologies
August 7, 2023, MINNEAPOLIS—Installing technologies designed to capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial and power facilities has the potential to result in billions of annual health benefits nationwide. These health benefits are directly tied to the reduction of other air pollutants that would also be removed in a carbon capture system, according to a first-of-its-kind study—Carbon Capture Co-benefits: Carbon Capture’s Role in Removing Pollutants and Reducing Health Impacts—from the Great Plains Institute and Carbon Solutions, LLC.
GPI Requests Twin Cities Electric Mobility Education Outreach Proposals
July 11, 2023 in News & Press, Transportation & Fuels Author: Darren GoodeProject aims to fill electric mobility literacy gap in underserved communities
July 11, 2023, MINNEAPOLIS—The Great Plains Institute (GPI) is requesting proposals to help fill the literacy gap about electric mobility among low-income, historically marginalized groups, and other underserved communities in the Twin Cities. Continue reading »
GPI to Help More Communities Become Solar Ready with SolSmart
July 11, 2023 in Renewable Energy Author: Sydne Tursky
Since 2016, the federal SolSmart program has helped 500 communities become solar ready. Now, the program is aiming to designate 500 more communities over the next few years. The Great Plains Institute is a SolSmart liaison. Through our recruitment efforts, we’ve helped about 100 communities become solar ready. Most recently, we helped Minnetonka, Minnesota, achieve Bronze designation in the program’s new phase. Continue reading »
Next Steps for a Clean Transportation Standard in Minnesota
June 22, 2023 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Mariem Zaghdoudi
Despite the national and state momentum and the consistent support from the growing Future Fuels Coalition, the proposed Minnesota clean transportation standard did not pass during the state’s recently adjourned legislative session. Yet progress will continue this summer thanks to legislation requiring the establishment of a working group on a clean transportation standard in the state. Continue reading »
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