Over the last decade and a half, there has been a significant increase in renewable energy generation in the United States. Many states and communities consider renewable energy investments as an opportunity to stimulate local economic development. Continue reading »
Two recent articles by regional and national media outlets recognize the leadership and impact of the e21 Initiative’s efforts to develop a more customer-centric and sustainable framework for utility regulation in Minnesota. Continue reading »
GPI has a long list of initiatives to advance biomass-based energy, fossil energy plus carbon capture, utilization and storage, and energy efficiency strategies for industrial and commercial facilities. Each of these strategies is important elements of GPI’s work to further industrial decarbonization strategies in key U.S. states. Continue reading »
GPI recently updated our previous analysis to explore the emission reductions achieved by driving an electric vehicle (EV) in specific regions in the Midwest. The updated analysis affirms and strengthens our finding that driving EVs, in comparison to gasoline vehicles, can provide significant greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reductions, with increasing reductions expected in coming years for both Minnesota (the focus of our initial analysis) and the Upper Midwest.
On a bright morning last November, I hopped on the Blue Line light rail in Minneapolis, transferred to the 2 bus, and headed west down Franklin Ave S to its intersection with Portland Ave S, where Will Delaney, Associate Director of Hope Community, was waiting to receive me. Continue reading »
The Minnesota Legislature convened in early January and has been busy advancing major spending and policy bills. The main work of the Minnesota legislative session in odd years is to finalize a two-year state budget. The Bioeconomy Coalition has been working to ensure that funding for the advanced biofuels, biobased chemicals, and biomass thermal energy production incentive programs are included in the two-year budget. The budget currently under debate at the legislature would cover fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Continue reading »
On April 1, 2005, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) launched a wholesale energy market and began centrally dispatching power generation throughout the central United States. One result from this market reform was the reduction of wind energy curtailments. In fact, our recent analysis indicates wind capacity factors on the MISO system increased about 5-7% after the market launch. For a large 100 MW wind plant, a 5-7% increase is equivalent to about an extra $2 million in revenue per year at typical prices. Continue reading »
Today, companies and organizations that the Great Plains Institute works with jointly released a list of carbon capture projects and CO2 pipelines in a broader national infrastructure initiative and portfolio of projects, together with extension and reform of the Section 45Q tax credit and adoption of tax-exempt private activity bonds and other financial incentives to support carbon capture deployment. Continue reading »
Over the last two years, the Great Plains Institute has gathered leaders at our annual Energy Innovation Collaboratory to think strategically about the trajectory of our common energy future and how to move forward on identified energy and climate game changers. Continue reading »
The 2017 North Dakota legislature faces a tough predicament as they work to finalize budgets and funding levels for the 2017-2019 biennium. March 2017 projections developed by the State Office of Management and Budget show projected general fund revenue shortfalls of more than $100 million. Continue reading »
