Volkswagen (VW) and the US Justice Department signed a historic agreement last week to settle the lawsuit over its emissions cheating scandal. VW will pay more than $15 billion to make things right. In a twist of fate – a lawsuit over diesel engines may end up being a catalytic event in moving towards a much lower emission transportation system. Continue reading »
*This post originally appeared on the Clean Energy Resource Teams website here.
An energy-efficient venue: Elise Amel, psychology professor welcomed attendees to the Anderson Student Center, the first LEED certified project on the St. Thomas campus. Continue reading »
*This post originally appeared on the Clean Energy Resource Teams website here. To learn more about Metro CERT, please visit GPI’s Metro CERT project page here.*
Built in 1999, the Greenway Office Building (GPI is a key building tenant) includes solar PV, geothermal heating and cooling, and a green roof. Constructed to many of the design points of LEED (Leadership Energy Efficient Design) this ENERGY STAR building hosts many nonprofit and for-profit tenants working toward better housing and a more energy independent future. Wellington Management recently utilized PACE financing to replace the building’s aging solar PV array. Continue reading »
States that decide to pursue a mass-based trading approach to meet federal Clean Power Plan (CPP) requirements have the option of covering new electric generating units in addition to existing units. States that choose to cover new units will receive what EPA calls the “new source complement,” which consists of additional allowances added to the state’s mass-based emissions goal. Continue reading »
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A set of new electric transmission lines, developed with the help of the Great Plains Institute, is under construction to connect more Midwestern wind power to large cities in the east. The Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator (MISO), which operates the electric grid in the Midwest, has been moving forward with the Multi-Value Project (MVP) portfolio since 2011. Continue reading »
On October 5th and 6th, the Midwestern Governor’s Association, with assistance from the Great Plains Institute, convened its sixth transmission summit in Columbus, OH. This year’s meeting focused on modernizing the electric grid, and the emerging technologies and regulatory hurdles that accompany an industry in transition. Information is available at the Midwestern Governors Association website. Continue reading »
As the first speaker kicked off GPI’s second annual Energy Innovation Celebration on Sept. 29, the energy in the room was palpable. The Better Energy Community brimmed with enthusiasm and a cooperative spirit as we began an evening to celebrate human and technological innovation for building a better energy future. It took almost a full minute for the room to quiet as the group of over 300 guests wound down conversations carried in from the evening’s reception at the Nicollet Island Pavilion on the Mississippi River. Continue reading »
The Great Plains Institute is working in partnership with the SolSmart national team to get local governments across four Midwestern states certified as “solar-ready.”
SolSmart is a new national designation program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative through the Solar Powering America by Recognizing Communities (SPARC) initiative, designed to recognize communities that have taken key steps to address local barriers to solar energy and foster the growth of mature local solar markets. Continue reading »
Part II of our Klimaschutz series will summarize and highlight key achievements in each of the cities and major takeaways from the trip.
I want to point out an added value gained from this effort beyond learning from our German partners, and that is how much was learned from each other. For the Minnesota participants, the time we had together to talk through issues and think about how we can solve them within our own political reality was an incredibly important aspect of this partnership, and will be extremely valuable as these cities work together to lead Minnesota in its effort to minimize our impact on a changing climate. Continue reading »
It was Thursday, September 1st – just nine days before National Drive Electric week was going to kick off – when we picked up the keys to our very own Nissan Leaf and hit the highway for an epic road trip. Continue reading »
