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 »
Congress passed and the president signed a monumental climate bill, ushering us into a new era of adding speed and scale to how we will decarbonize our economy. Continue reading »
On August 16th, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 into law. The act—which provides almost $370 billion in federal funding for climate and energy investments—includes the most significant investments in vehicle electrification in US history. Continue reading »
MINNEAPOLIS—The Great Plains Institute released the following statement by President and CEO Rolf Nordstrom in response to the House passage of the Inflation Reduction Act following its passage earlier this week in the Senate: Continue reading »
The US Supreme Court issued its highly anticipated ruling on West Virginia v. EPA earlier this summer. At issue was whether the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could consider “generation shifting”—from higher carbon resources (i.e., coal and natural gas) to lower carbon resources (i.e., natural gas and renewables)—when determining the “best system of emissions reduction” under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act. In the majority opinion, the Supreme Court ruled that EPA cannot set the existing source standard based on generation shifting, but otherwise affirmed the agency’s ability to regulate carbon dioxide emissions at new and existing power plants. Continue reading »
The third case study is now available from a groundbreaking project to establish the first science-based stormwater and water quality standards for solar farms. The Great Plains Institute is helping lead the Photovoltaic Stormwater Management Research and Testing (PV-SMaRT) project along with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Fresh Energy, and the University of Minnesota. PV-SMaRT is funded by the US Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technology office. Continue reading »
The recent approval of a slate of long-range transmission lines in the Midwest moves the US closer to realizing a reliable, resilient grid for a net-zero carbon economy. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) Board of Directors unanimously approved the $10.3 billion grid expansion that will increase grid reliability, lower system costs, and remove barriers to renewable energy projects waiting for grid interconnection. Continue reading »
GPI Electric Vehicle Policy Specialist Moaz Uddin recently answered WCCO 4 News’s question, “Does getting an electric vehicle make financial sense?” Part of the CBS station’s “Good Question” series, the show helped answer this common question for people looking at electric vehicles in the face of high gas prices. Uddin breaks down the numbers for how electric vehicles can save consumers money over time. Continue reading »
Hydrogen has the potential to play a vital role in the clean energy transition. Due to its versatility, hydrogen can help tackle critical energy challenges and meet midcentury climate goals. It can reduce emissions in areas where other solutions like electrification, energy efficiency, or renewables are infeasible. This post will explain basic facts about hydrogen, including its important role in decarbonization and different production methods. Continue reading »
These are challenging times, which makes it even more important that people of goodwill lean in, and act. Continue reading »
