This summer, GPI welcomed a fantastic group of current students and recent graduates through our internship program. They’re working across GPI’s program areas and come from different backgrounds and parts of the country. It’s always a pleasure to work with our interns and get their perspectives as the future of the energy sector. Continue reading »
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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.
Shave, Shift, Shimmy: How Demand Response Can Unlock Value on the Electric Grid
July 23, 2018 in Carbon Management, Energy Systems Author: Matt Prorok
Earlier 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 »
Event Preview: Road Map to Decarbonization in the Midcontinent
July 20, 2018 in Carbon Management, News & Press Author: Jennifer Christensen
What if policy makers had a road map for decarbonizing the energy system? In the Midcontinent region of the US, a group of stakeholders including investor-owned utilities, merchant power companies, electric cooperatives, environmental groups, and state regulators has begun development of such a road map for decarbonization by 2050. 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 »
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 »
Q&A with GPI VP Brendan Jordan: The US and EU Experience with Developing Biomass Industries
June 11, 2018 in Transportation & Fuels Authors: Brendan Jordan, Will Dunder
GPI‘s Brendan Jordan recently presented at the European Biomass Conference and Exhibition in Copenhagen. In a Q&A with GPI’s Will Dunder, Brendan shares some key highlights below from his presentation and some insights gained through experience at the conference which gathered biomass leaders and experts from around the world.
Continue reading »
Former Great River Energy VP, Will Kaul, Named GPI Board of Directors Chair
May 29, 2018 in News & Press Author: Gail Nosek
The Great Plains Institute (GPI) is pleased to announce Will Kaul has taken the helm of the board of directors, effective May of 2018. Continue reading »
“Smart” Charging Electric Vehicles with Solar at the Greenway Building
May 25, 2018 in Transportation & Fuels Authors: Dane McFarlane, Katelyn Bocklund, Matt Prorok
Electricity systems are increasingly becoming interactive and dynamic, opening up opportunities for energy technologies to “talk” to each other and create numerous benefits for energy consumers (e.g., increased efficiency, lower costs, and reduced emissions). This opportunity is one that GPI and our partners are exploring through the combination of electric vehicles (EVs) and solar energy.
Continue reading »
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