Tracking greenhouse gas emissions, understanding where emissions come from, and determining strategies to reduce them are all relatively new concepts for cities. Continue reading »
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GPI hosts GreenCorps member to work on electric vehicle readiness in Minnesota communities
October 17, 2018 in News & Press Author: Katelyn Bocklund
We are fortunate to serve as a Minnesota GreenCorps host site for another year and to welcome Joe Cella, who is now serving as GPI’s GreenCorps member. Continue reading »
GreenStep Cities October Workshop: Climate Smart Municipalities
October 10, 2018 in Communities Author: Abby Finis
GreenStep Cities hosted a workshop on Climate Smart Municipalities with presenters from both Minnesota and Germany. For the past three years, five Minnesota GreenStep Cities communities have partnered with five communities from the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to advance climate action. At this October workshop, presenters discussed this partnership and innovative electric vehicle practices in both states. Continue reading »
Renowned Broadcasters Help Host GPI House Party
September 30, 2018 in News & Press Author: Gail NosekIn September 2018, award-winning former WCCO-TV anchor Don Shelby and Minnesota Public Radio’s Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner were the featured speakers at a private event in support of the Great Plains Institute (GPI). The September 26 fundraiser was held at the home of GPI board member Amy Skoczlas Cole and her husband Jason Cole in Deephaven, Minnesota and brought together friends and colleagues to learn more about how GPI is transforming the energy system to benefit the economy and environment. Continue reading »
The USE IT Act: Advancing Innovative Carbon Capture Projects & Infrastructure
September 26, 2018 in Carbon Management Author: Jennifer Christensen
There’s growing global recognition that technologies which capture carbon, and in some cases remove it from the atmosphere, will be vital to achieving a decarbonized economy. There is also increasing interest in these technologies given their potential economic value since carbon can be used to develop products through beneficial use or conversion. Continue reading »
Visualizing Pathways to Decarbonization of the Midcontinent’s Electricity Sector
September 25, 2018 in Energy Systems, Reports & Whitepapers Author: Dane McFarlane
The Great Plains Institute recently released A Road Map to Decarbonization in the Midcontinent Electricity Sector as part of its work with the Midcontinent Power Sector Collaborative, a diverse group of stakeholders including investor-owned utilities, merchant power companies, electric cooperatives, environmental groups, and state regulators.
The road map is the first-of-its-kind for any region in the US and was developed by the collaborative to provide utilities, policy makers, and stakeholders with a better sense of what will be needed to inform sound near-term decisions that position the region to meet the challenges ahead.
Cities Making Progress on Electric Vehicle Readiness Across Minnesota
September 25, 2018 in Communities Author: Diana McKeown
Twenty-eight cities across Minnesota are looking to the future and getting ready for broad adoption of electric vehicles.
Cities Charging Ahead! is a peer cohort of 28 cities working together across Minnesota to explore electric vehicle readiness. Participants receive technical assistance focused on actions and best practices, based on the GreenStep Cities program, that cities can implement to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles such as: Continue reading »
Assisting States and Stakeholders in the Complicated Work of Grid Modernization
September 19, 2018 in Energy Systems Author: Doug Scott
The e21 Initiative has not only provided valuable leadership in shaping a 21st century electric system in Minnesota, it’s created opportunities for utilities in the Midwest and both US coasts to learn from the process. Continue reading »
GPI Ranked a Top Nonprofit in the US by Charity Navigator
September 12, 2018 in News & Press Author: Eric Schroeder
The Great Plains Institute was recognized for the fourth consecutive year as a top nonprofit in the United States for financial health, accountability, and transparency by the nation’s largest charity evaluator, Charity Navigator. Continue reading »
The power of partnerships: Minnesota communities look to collaborate to achieve mutual energy goals
August 29, 2018 in Communities Author: Jessi Wyatt
Communities across the country can benefit from identifying and prioritizing synergies between energy goals outlined at multiple levels of government — across cities, counties, and the state level. Continue reading »
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