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 »
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GPI Testifies Before US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
September 26, 2019 in Carbon Management Author: Gail Nosek
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 »
Minnesota Department of Transportation Releases Pathways to Decarbonizing Transportation Report
September 18, 2019 in News & Press, Reports & Whitepapers, Transportation & Fuels Author: Gail Nosek
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 »
Approval of a Wisconsin Transmission Project Marks a Major Milestone for Clean Energy in the Midwest
September 11, 2019 in Energy Systems Authors: Matt Prorok, Rolf Nordstrom
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 »
e21 Forum Highlights Four Areas of Energy Innovation Across Minnesota
September 10, 2019 in Energy Systems Author: Trevor Drake
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.
New Resources to Help Cities Add Electric Fleet Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure
September 10, 2019 in Communities, Transportation & Fuels Author: Diana McKeown
During 2018-19, 28 Minnesota cities worked together in regional cohorts through the Cities Charging Ahead! (CCA) project to learn and act together to become “electric vehicle (EV) ready communities.” These cities increased their knowledge significantly and made strides toward their goals to foster EV adoption in their communities. CCA, which was led by the Great Plains Institute and Clean Energy Resource Teams, officially wrapped up in June but the cities have expressed an interest in continuing to meet periodically in their regional cohorts. To build on this interest and the knowledge gained through CCA, we’ve developed resources that are now available for other cities to learn from. Continue reading »
Engaging Communities on Utility-Scale Wind & Solar Development in the Midwest: Part I, Market Drivers
September 9, 2019 in Communities, Energy Systems Authors: Jenna Greene, Jessi Wyatt
In the Midwest, powerful market drivers are creating an attractive environment for investors and developers to build more renewable energy projects and infrastructure. Declining technology costs for utility-scale wind and solar are combined in the region with an abundance of wind and solar resources. As utility-scale renewable energy projects increase across the region, it is important for communities to have an understanding of these market drivers and to prepare for project development and siting. Continue reading »
Seed Grant Applications Open for Clean Energy Projects in Minnesota Communities
September 5, 2019 in Communities Author: Diana McKeown
The Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) have released the request for proposals (RFP) for the 2020 round of seed grants to catalyze clean energy projects all over the state of Minnesota. Continue reading »
How to Electrify Your Fleet: Lessons from Cities Charging Ahead Fleet Studies
September 4, 2019 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Joe Cella
Stakeholder groups working to increase electric vehicle (EV) adoption often highlight the money you can save by driving an EV over the lifetime of the vehicle as one of several benefits of switching to an EV. Many studies support this finding on EV savings (such as this one from MIT) and have caught the interest of cities which manage a fleet of vehicles. Recently, Minnesota cities working together in the Cities Charging Ahead effort (more info here) saw firsthand through an analysis of their fleet just how much they could save by replacing certain vehicles in their municipal fleets with EVs. Continue reading »
GPI Welcomes New Director of Finance and Administration
August 14, 2019 in News & Press Author: Deborah Karasov
Great Plains Institute (GPI) is pleased to welcome Huong Nguyen as our new director of finance and administration.
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