This year, the Great Plains Institute is thrilled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our founding as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the energy system to benefit the economy and environment. Looking back at our impact, I’m energized by the progress we’ve made and filled with a sense of possibility. Continue reading »
The Better Energy Community is constantly growing and evolving.
Read about our latest projects and successes on our blog.
GuideStar Recognizes GPI as a Leading Nonprofit for Transparency and Financial Accountability
April 19, 2018 in News & Press Author: Eric Schroeder
We’re proud to say that the Great Plains Institute was recently recognized with the 2018 Silver Seal on our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile. The award recognizes nonprofit transparency and financial accountability.
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The April GreenStep Cities workshop focused on racial equity. Abby Finis (Great Plains Institute) introduced Gordon Goodwin, the Midwest Region Project Manager for the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE). Gordon gave a presentation about the importance of racial equity, facilitated a discussion with the audience, and described the work of GARE (2:00). Kevin Frazell and Danielle Cabot (League of Minnesota Cities) then gave an overview of LMC’s involvement with GARE and how LMC has begun to incorporate racial equity into its internal and external work (1:07:40 ). Continue reading »
Press Release: Initiative Creates First-of-its-Kind Opportunity for Solar Energy & Electric Vehicles
April 10, 2018 in News & Press Author: Gail Nosek
Great Plains Institute launches “solar+EV” market transformation initiative as part of national effort to capture renewable energy opportunities. Continue reading »
Capitol Pathways Intern at GPI
April 9, 2018 in News & Press, Transportation & Fuels Author: Gail Nosek
The Great Plains Institute (GPI) is thrilled to again serve as a host organization for the Capitol Pathways internship program. Organized by the Citizens League, the program “opens access to the Minnesota Capitol to the next generation of leaders of color.” The long-term goal is to make government truly representative of the communities it serves. Continue reading »
How to Set Renewable Electricity Goals that Align with Community Priorities
March 27, 2018 in Communities Author: Abby Finis
Communities can forge their own path to achieve a broad range of benefits from renewable electricity and efficiency by setting clear goals at the outset. Across the country cities are setting 100 percent renewable electricity goals. Is that the right goal for every community? It depends. For some communities, setting such a renewable electricity goal may be at odds with what a community actually wants to achieve. Continue reading »
Welcome to GPI’s new and improved website!
Whether you’re a longtime supporter of our work or only know a little about GPI, we hope you enjoy our new look and more user-friendly design. Continue reading »
The March GreenStep Cities workshop focused on invasive species and kicked off with introductions from Kristin Mroz (EQB), followed by an overview of terrestrial invasive species by Angie Ambourn of MDA (2:15). Next, Michael Orange (Orange Environmental, LLC) discussed management plans for Emerald Ash Borer, particularly the strategy of “Save the Best, Replace the Rest.” (34:35) After some time for questions, Tina Wolbers’ (DNR) talked about Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) and DNR AIS Prevention Planners & Local AIS Plan Framework. Finally, Kristin Mroz (EQB) touched on helpful resources related to invasive species. Continue reading »
It’s Time for Long-Term Planning for North Dakota’s Legacy Fund
March 19, 2018 in Carbon Management Author: Patrice Lahlum
A handful of North Dakota state legislators recently put forth a proposal to tap into the principal of the state’s constitutionally-established Legacy Fund to establish a loan program for infrastructure projects. The plan is expected to come before the 2019 State Legislature and will likely be one of many ideas and proposals that surface in the coming months which aim to utilize either the earnings or a portion of the principal of the Fund. Continue reading »
Improving Standby Rate Design Would Help Industries Increase Efficiency, Reduce Emissions, and Save Money
March 13, 2018 in Energy Systems Authors: Anna Dirkswager, Jamie Scripps
What is Combined Heat and Power?
Combined heat and power (CHP) is a system that not only generates electricity, but also harnesses the thermal energy from power generation for heating and cooling applications (typically burning natural gas for electricity and capturing the exhaust for steam heat). By combining these two processes, some CHP systems can achieve thermal efficiencies of 60-80 percent, which is up to twice the efficiency of traditional power generation. Continue reading »
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