Great Plains Institute (GPI) will now manage the national Sustainable States Network, which is working to make action on climate mitigation, resilience, and sustainability the norm for every community. The network connects efforts across 12 states to allow members to share resources, best practices, and collaborate on projects that advance shared goals. Continue reading »
The federal government has a window of opportunity to advance clean energy legislation on a scale that could transform the nation’s ability to meet critical emissions reduction goals and lead energy innovation globally. That’s why the Great Plains Institute (GPI) joined a diverse group of 26 other national organizations in urging congressional leaders to prioritize energy and climate technology and innovation legislation this fall. Continue reading »
More communities than ever are using solar energy thanks in part to a program that makes it easier for local governments to make the switch to sun. The Great Plains Institute (GPI) led the Upper Midwest cohort of communities seeking SolSmart designation, the largest in the nation. Continue reading »
Reaching decarbonization goals by 2050 will require large-scale deployment of carbon capture. Fortunately, carbon capture has been demonstrated at commercial scale for use in electric power and key industries, with successful commercial experience dating back decades in some sectors. Continue reading »
The lowering cost of wind and solar energy generation has a local impact: communities are going to see more wind and solar development projects, more often. Communities see many of the direct impacts from these developments, from tax revenues to opportunities for co-beneficial land uses to managing resident feedback on such development. Many local considerations and indicators can help communities understand opportunities for maximizing local co-benefits as the market continues to increase for utility-scale solar and wind development. Continue reading »
Improving the energy efficiency of your home is a win-win-win. It makes your living space more comfortable, saves you money, and is good for the environment. Leading analysis shows that energy efficiency can significantly reduce energy use and is a critical tool for reaching emissions reduction targets. In the US, the residential and commercial sectors account for about 30 percent of energy use (which represents almost all of energy use in buildings), with the residential sector accounting for about 16 percent of that total. Continue reading »
Carbon capture is a pillar of the Great Plains Institute’s (GPI’s) work. Our carbon management team is focused on realizing the full potential of this suite of technologies as a national energy security, economic, and environmental strategy. To achieve mid-century decarbonization goals, carbon capture projects and infrastructure must be built at a large scale, and in an accelerated timeframe. Continue reading »
A new report from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) shows routes to a lower-carbon future for the largest greenhouse gas emitting sector in the state. The Pathways to Decarbonizing Transportation report was created through public input and modeling and outlines recommendations and next steps toward reducing emissions. Continue reading »
In 2007, a bipartisan group of seven governors announced ground-breaking energy and climate agreements that would go on to shape the region’s energy system. Over a decade later, Wisconsin regulators recently approved the capstone transmission project, the last in a set of 17 “multi-value transmission projects” (MVPs) across the region representing $6.5 billion in investment that grew out of those original agreements. The MVP portfolio’s 17 projects will enable over 16 GW of wind generation to come online, delivering 52 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy throughout the MISO footprint through 2031. Put another way, without these lines, over 60 percent of the renewable energy needed to meet the region’s renewables goals through 2031 would have been curtailed. Continue reading »
Minnesota energy stakeholders came together at the end of August to learn about four areas of innovation happening across the state’s energy system. The event was put on by the e21 Initiative, a collaborative effort between the Great Plains Institute and Center for Energy and Environment that convenes diverse stakeholder groups to help shape and advance a decarbonized, customer-centric, and technologically modern energy system in Minnesota.
