Blog

The Better Energy Community is constantly growing and evolving.

Read about our latest projects and successes on our blog.

Economic Benefits of a Clean Fuels Policy in Minnesota and Iowa

July 12, 2021 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Mariem Zaghdoudi

clean fuels

New analysis shows that a Midwestern clean fuels policy (CFP) can deliver positive economic benefits while reducing carbon emissions in the region. This is the conclusion of an ICF study commissioned by the Great Plains Institute in partnership with the American Coalition for Ethanol, and with support from the Union of Concerned Scientists and the McKnight Foundation. ICF was commissioned to investigate the economic impacts of a Midwestern CFP, and used Minnesota and Iowa as representative states of the region. Legislators in Minnesota are considering the Future Fuels Act, a proposed CFP. Continue reading »

Survey on Hybrid Resources Says They’re Coming, and Fast!

July 1, 2021 in Energy Systems Authors: Maggie Kristian, Matt Prorok

transmission wires

Over the last year, GPI has convened an informal group of Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) stakeholders to discuss market rule needs for hybrid resources. Through this work we’ve been able to develop and present a set of specific recommendations to MISO to define how hybrid resources will participate in its energy and capacity markets.

Continue reading »

Helping More Latinx-Owned Businesses Benefit from Utility Conservation Programs in Minnesota

June 18, 2021 in Communities Authors: Jessi Wyatt, Kristoffer Acuña

Business owner talking about energy conservationThe Great Plains Institute, the University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (RSDP), COPAL MN, and the Minnesota Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) were awarded a Conservation Applied Research and Development (CARD) grant by the Minnesota Department of Commerce in January 2021. Continue reading »

Not Your Grandparents’ Infrastructure: What Businesses Should Be Thinking About

June 14, 2021 in News & Press Author: Rolf Nordstrom

rolf nordstrom

GPI 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 »

Pairing Solar with Managed EV Charging for Distribution Grid Benefit

June 4, 2021 in Communities, Renewable Energy Authors: Brian Ross, Rebecca Heisel

solar plus ev

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 »

Benefits for Wood-Based Renewable Diesel in a Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy

May 21, 2021 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Hannah Haas

As part of the Great Plains Institute’s work to develop a Midwestern clean fuels policy, we are hosting a webinar series about clean fuels on the market and how those industries could benefit from a regional policy. The most recent webinar explored how a clean fuels policy can create markets for underutilized wood through the production of wood-based renewable diesel in the Midwest. Continue reading »

Carbon Budget 101: What It Is and Why It Matters

May 20, 2021 in Carbon Management Authors: Dane McFarlane, Elizabeth Abramson

Hourglass image with text: What's Our Carbon Budget?

The US—and the world—must dramatically accelerate emissions reductions this decade to prevent dangerous increases in global temperature and achieve a net-zero carbon economy by midcentury. The speed and scale of required reductions can be visualized by looking at our carbon budget. Just like a financial budget sets your spending limits, the carbon budget sets our carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions limits to avoid additional global temperature rise. Continue reading »

How Companies Can Help Create a Net-Zero Carbon Economy

May 12, 2021 in News & Press Author: Rolf Nordstrom

rolf nordstrom

GPI 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 »

Our Newsletter

Sign Up for Better Energy Community News

Sign up to receive the latest news and announcements from the Great Plains Institute.