Another successful week of National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) events in Minnesota was wrapped up on September 17. As a partnership of Minnesota electric vehicle (EV) champions, Drive Electric MN served as a communications hub for NDEW 2017 and helped to coordinate the efforts of several of our partners. As a special bonus this year, Twin Cities-based Chinook Book donated over 300 copies of the 2016-17 Chinook Book to distribute at NDEW events. Continue reading »
A recently released GPI report looks at the extent to which growth in wind energy has reduced electricity prices in the Midwestern market. In conjunction with the Colorado School of Mines, GPI undertook a comprehensive empirical investigation and found a significant decrease in electricity prices attributed to wind energy in the Midcontinent ISO (MISO) market. Continue reading »
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, known as MISO, is the second largest organized competitive wholesale electricity market in the U.S., serving 14 states with over 180 gigawatts of generation capacity, encompassing 6,427 generating units, and 65,800 miles of transmission lines. (FERC, 2017) Wholesale electricity prices in MISO have decreased over the past several years, as both natural gas prices have fallen and as large amounts of wind generation capacity have been added. Continue reading »
This GreenStep Cities workshop focused on how to use a committee to lead, coordinate, and engage community members on implementation of GreenStep best practices. After Introductions by Abby Finis, Kristen Rhodes discussed the new GreenStep Cities Welcome Guide, and youth involvement (1:32). Continue reading »
Based on our analysis, we’ve shown that while coal makes up most of the grid’s electricity sources in Minnesota, plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) result in about 50% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline vehicles over the life of the vehicle. If you are a PEV driver in Minnesota who wants to achieve even greater emission reductions, you can charge your PEV with energy from renewable sources. Continue reading »
The Biogenic Carbon Utilization Initiative focuses on developing market opportunities to use or store carbon dioxide (CO2) generated when forest or farm-based feedstocks are processed. Utilizing naturally occurring CO2 as a revenue stream provides a meaningful opportunity to generate negative emissions while maintaining important industrial economies. Continue reading »
You might think this is about food, love, or coffee. Nope, this is about electricity. It’s hard to name something you’ll do today that doesn’t require it, and yet we mostly take it for granted, unless you lose power or your cell phone dies. Pause for a minute to consider that without electricity we would not have computers, TVs, microwaves, refrigeration, skyscrapers (no elevators), medicines that require refrigeration, and a very long list of other features of modern life. In short, electricity just might be the most important product you never think of. Continue reading »
Last week, a quarter of the U.S. Senate came together in bipartisan fashion to cosponsor legislation that has the potential to spark deployment of critical carbon capture projects that would have important environmental, energy, and economic benefits for the country. Continue reading »
Great River Energy (GRE), a partner of Drive Electric Minnesota, just wrapped up its tour of the first electric school bus in Minnesota (and even the Midwest). The bus will be back in the fall, transporting children in Lakeville, MN to and from school in all its electric glory, powered by 100 percent wind energy through GRE’s Revolt program. Continue reading »
Almost every time we give a community presentation on solar, somebody asks about how the costs of the technology are changing and whether it’s best to wait to “go solar.” It’s a smart question, and indeed the costs of the physical components of solar projects are being driven down by market forces (though arguably not quick enough to warrant waiting). The trouble with this question is that it misses the target in seeing what’s most important, which is not just the cost of hardware but the final cost of an installed system. Continue reading »
