Blog


The Better Energy Community is constantly growing and evolving.

Read about our latest projects and successes on our blog.

Update: Momentum Builds on Carbon Capture with Major Announcements on Projects and Leadership Efforts

August 2, 2018 in Carbon Management Author: Jennifer Christensen

A man presenting a behind Carbon Capture  Coalition  podium

Earlier this year, landmark legislation which expands and reforms the 45Q tax credit for carbon capture and storage projects was signed into law. The legislation, titled the FUTURE Act, received broad bipartisan support in Congress from governors and other state leaders and a diverse coalition of industry, labor, and environmental supporters.   Continue reading »

Federal Funding and Tax Incentives Create Opportunities for Kansas to Realize Economic Potential of Carbon Capture Utilization & Storage

July 25, 2018 in Carbon Management Author: Gail Nosek

Press Release GraphicFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 24, 2018

Federal Funding and Tax Incentives Create Opportunities for Kansas to Realize Economic Potential of Carbon Capture Utilization & Storage

Policy, industry, & research leaders gather to push potential projects forward at pivotal time

LAWRENCE, KS – The Department of Energy has announced $13.3 million in funding paving the way for major carbon capture and storage projects in Kansas and Nebraska with considerable potential benefits to Kansas workers and its economy. This comes after a major win for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the federal budget bill signed into law just months ago.

Continue reading »

Road Map to Decarbonization in the Midcontinent’s Electricity Sector Released

July 24, 2018 in Carbon Management, Energy Systems, News & Press, Reports & Whitepapers Author: Gail Nosek

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2018

Stakeholders Release First-of-its-Kind Road Map to Decarbonization for Midcontinent Power Sector

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – A diverse set of stakeholders from across the U.S. Midcontinent region have released a road map to identify possible routes toward decarbonization of the region’s electricity sector by Midcentury. The Midcontinent Power Sector Collaborative (MPSC) developed the road map to help guide industry and regulators as they make decisions about how to meet the region’s electricity needs while reducing carbon emissions. The full road map as well as an interactive website outlining its findings are available at roadmap.betterenergy.org.

Continue reading »

Shave, Shift, Shimmy: How Demand Response Can Unlock Value on the Electric Grid

July 23, 2018 in Carbon Management, Energy Systems Author: Matt Prorok

 

A row of electrical metersEarlier this month I attended the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) Board meeting “hot topic” discussion on resource adequacy representing the Environmental/Other Sector 

My comment on the topic was quoted by RTO Insider in their coverage of the meeting, where I discussed how distributed energy sources can unlock value for the system by “shaving loads, shifting loads, and shimmying loads.” This quote, which pertains specifically to demand response (DR) as a form of distributed energy resource, generated questions about what these terms mean and why they matter for the region. It is worth spending some time talking about these values and how they can help MISO and its members.  Continue reading »

Tribal Nations Leading on Sustainability Join Unique Pilot Program

July 19, 2018 in Communities Author: Kristin Mroz


A solar air heating system located at the Leech Lake Department of Natural Resources 

This is a guest blog post by Kristin Mroz, local government coordinator with the Environmental Quality Board which is an official partner of the GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations program. Kristin’s role supports the needs of local and tribal governments and assists with coordinating efforts by state agencies to support communities in climate and sustainability actions.    Continue reading »

Understanding Your City’s Energy Resources

July 18, 2018 in Communities Author: Brian Ross

A view of rooftop solar panels

The Great Plains Institute is working with cities, counties, and regional governments to routinely incorporate energy planning into local policies, plans, and regulations. To address local energy issues, local governments must first understand community energy use and anticipate how energy resources, markets, and technologies evolve over time. Continue reading »

Carbon Capture Deployment Initiatives Announced to Spur Infrastructure

June 19, 2018 in Carbon Management, News & Press Author: Brad Crabtree

JACKSON HOLE (WY) – A new effort to promote broad-scale deployment of infrastructure for carbon capture, CO2 pipelines, enhanced oil recovery (EOR), other forms of geologic storage, and beneficial utilization of CO2 in the Northern Plains/Rockies and Midwest regions was announced by Wyoming Governor Matt Mead and Montana Governor Steve Bullock today as part of CO2NNECT 2018. 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.