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Webinar Series Shows Benefits of Midwestern Clean Fuels Policies Across Industry Sectors

February 2, 2021 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Mariem Zaghdoudi

road

Gathering input from a wide-ranging group of stakeholders, the Great Plains Institute (GPI) has been working to develop and implement clean fuels policies (CFPs) in Midwestern states. A CFP is a technology-neutral, performance-based policy that reduces the use of high-carbon transportation fuels while providing incentives to deploy lower-carbon alternatives such as electricity, hydrogen, and biofuels. GPI has been hosting a webinar series, with each webinar focused on a different low-carbon fuel, as part of our work to educate more stakeholders about the benefits of a CFP.

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Looking Back: Progress Made Toward Transportation Electrification in Minnesota in 2020

January 13, 2021 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Katelyn Bocklund

ev charger

The year 2020 was challenging—we worked hard to stay apart, embraced wearing masks everywhere we went, and rediscovered the outdoors. It was a year of immense pain, and we said goodbye to deeply loved friends and family. Restaurants, movie theaters, and other businesses endured trying economic times, or closed altogether, amidst a pandemic that shut down life as we once knew it. As we reflect on the past year, we’re also recognizing where progress was still able to occur, particularly on transportation electrification in Minnesota, which can deliver economic and environmental benefits for the state.

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Energy Act of 2020 will Advance Technologies Key to 2050 Net-Zero Carbon Goal

January 12, 2021 in News & Press Author: Jennifer Christensen

capitol building

Congress passed an expansive bipartisan energy package in a year-end omnibus spending bill that will drive emissions reductions, increase jobs, support economic competitiveness, and result in the development and deployment of technologies essential to meeting 2050 climate goals. Passage of the Energy Act of 2020—the first major energy package in over a decade—signals broad support for building a net-zero carbon economy, which requires an all-hands-on-deck approach over the next decade.

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GPI Welcomes Madelyn Morrison as Carbon Capture Coalition External Affairs Manager

January 8, 2021 in Carbon Management, News & Press Author: Jennifer Christensen

Madelyn Morrison

The Carbon Capture Coalition announced this week the hiring of Madelyn Morrison as its external affairs manager. Madelyn joins Jessie Stolark, the Coalition’s public policy & member relations manager, as its second full-time staff member. The Coalition, which is convened by the Great Plains Institute, is a nonpartisan collaboration of more than 80 businesses and organizations building federal policy support for economy-wide deployment of carbon capture, transport, use, removal, and storage. Continue reading »

Ethanol in a Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy

January 5, 2021 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Hannah Haas

ethanol in a midwestern clean fuels

As part of the Great Plains Institute’s work to develop a Midwestern clean fuels policy, we are hosting webinars that focus on clean fuels in the market today and how those industries could benefit from a regional policy. In the first three webinars, GPI looked at the role of electric vehicles (in two webinars) and renewable natural gas in a potential Midwestern clean fuels policy. The fourth webinar in the series discussed how a Midwestern clean fuels policy can support the ethanol industry across the supply chain in the region.

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The Clean Energy Revolution Your Business Might Be Missing

January 4, 2021 in Energy Systems Author: Rolf Nordstrom

rolf nordstrom forbes

GPI President and CEO Rolf Nordstrom wrote “The Clean Energy Revolution Your Business Might Be Missing” for the Forbes Business Council website where it was originally published. Nordstrom recently became a council member.

If the quiet energy revolution taking place, particularly in the electric sector, has gone unnoticed by you, your company is likely missing out on critical economic and consumer benefits.

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ERI, GPI Release Model Solar Ordinance, Renewable Energy Guide to Facilitate Indiana Solar and Wind Development

December 21, 2020 in Energy Systems, News & Press, Renewable Energy Author: Brian Ross

solar panel

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.

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CO2NNECT Virtual Series Opens by Focusing on Jobs and Carbon Capture

December 16, 2020 in Carbon Management Authors: Jill Syvrud, Patrice Lahlum

co2nnectGreat Plains Institute convened the first CO2NNECT Virtual event on December 14, which highlighted the recently released and first-of-its-kind analysis from Rhodium Group that focused on the potential job growth and economic impact of carbon capture deployment in the near- to medium-term to help meet midcentury decarbonization goals. The event included an analytical presentation by Rhodium Group followed by a reaction panel discussion moderated by former US Senator Heidi Heitkamp. Continue reading »

Governor’s Council on Biofuels Supports Vision for Minnesota Clean Fuels Policy

December 7, 2020 in Transportation & Fuels Authors: Brendan Jordan, Katelyn Bocklund

A biofuels production facilityThe Minnesota Governor’s Council on Biofuels released its recommendations to Governor Tim Walz on November 2, 2020, which include a recommendation that Minnesota move forward with a clean fuels policy that “builds on the vision, principles, and considerations of the white paper A Clean Fuels Policy for the Midwest (2020) from the Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy Initiative and on the vision and principles of the Governor’s Council on Biofuels.” The Initiative’s white paper was the result of analysis and discussion among a broad stakeholder group facilitated by the Great Plains Institute. Continue reading »

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