I have never seen a moose. I mean, I have seen photographs, heads mounted on walls, Rocky and Bullwinkle, but not one in real life. With the exception of my eight-year absence from Minnesota, I have been to the Boundary Waters every year, at least once a year, since I was six. I am certain I was six, because in one of the earliest BWCA trip photos, my brother, sister, and I are all wearing our 1987 World Series Champions t-shirts and I am not sporting the unfortunate bowl cut I had in kindergarten. I didn’t see any moose in the 1980s and they have evaded me ever since. Continue reading »
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What’s Happening with Clean Energy in the Twin Cities?
January 20, 2016 in Communities Author: Diana McKeownClean Energy Resources Abound!
There are big clean energy happenings in Minnesota’s Twin Cities metro region of the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs)!
We started off 2016 by releasing the list of seed grant projects that were funded for this biennium that included some really exciting projects. Continue reading »
Growing a Vibrant Northern MN Bioeconomy
January 8, 2016 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Amanda BilekNorthern Minnesota has several elements – a strong natural resource base, existing supply chain infrastructure, history of industrial manufacturing – in place to help develop a robust bioeconomy cluster, but there is much more work to do to fully capture available opportunities. Continue reading »
The Paris Paradox: Climate Fix Seems Both Impossible & Inevitable
December 15, 2015 in Carbon Management Author: Rolf NordstromIt’s no secret that the world has come to depend almost entirely (87%) on fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—for meeting our energy needs. Since the Industrial Revolution the discovery and use of fossil fuels have led to the largest increase in human well-being ever experienced, quite literally making modern life possible (think electricity, medicine, computers). Continue reading »
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The Minnesota ENERGY STAR Challenge is excited to announce the selection of its community partners: the cities of Hutchinson and Woodbury. Each of these communities has demonstrated leadership in energy and sustainability initiatives and marks the beginning of lasting partnerships that will deepen efforts to increase building energy efficiency. Continue reading »
Initiative Aims to Reinvent Utility Industry the Minnesota Way
November 26, 2015 in Energy Systems Author: Jennifer ChristensenE&E Publishing’s EnergyWire featured an in-depth article, “Initiative Aims to Reinvent Utility Industry the Minnesota Way”, on the e21 Initiative which is co-convened by GPI and is working to “reinvent the utility business model and the regulations and policy that guide it.” Continue reading »
China’s Xinjiang Province Holds Major Potential for Carbon Capture and Storage
November 24, 2015 in Carbon Management Author: Brad CrabtreeLocated in westernmost China and home to the historic Silk Road that made this region a crossroads of Central Asia, the province of Xinjiang today plays the role of major energy producer, supplying China’s 1.35 billion people and burgeoning economy with fuels, chemicals, fertilizer and other products derived from the province’s abundant coal and oil reserves. If government and industry leaders in Xinjiang and Beijing play their cards right, this region of China can also become a world-class hub for carbon capture and storage, helping China to satisfy its urgent need to expand domestic energy production and to meet it national commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Continue reading »
Biogas Integration for Cellulosic Ethanol Production
November 23, 2015 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Amanda BilekAs cellulosic ethanol production facilities have come online, anaerobic digesters have been co-located at the plants to recover biogas from soluble residues inherent in the ethanol production process. These soluble residues contain a source of energy that can be recovered using anaerobic digestion, and the captured biogas can help meet process energy needs. Continue reading »
A Look Back at the Energy Innovation Celebration
November 17, 2015 in Carbon Management Author: Will DunderThe Tesla electric cars arrived before the guests, tires squeaking over the grass of the Nicollet Island Pavilion louder than the whisper quiet motors. During the Great Plains Institute’s inaugural Energy Innovation Celebration, the Teslas were a symbol of progress, but also of the distance left to travel. Continue reading »
Stakeholders Discuss Clean Power Plan Compliance Options in the Midcontinent
November 12, 2015 in Carbon Management Author: Erin SmithThe Bipartisan Policy Center and Great Plains Institute hosted a regional workshop, “The Final Clean Power Plan: Understanding the Options for the Midcontinent,” in Little Rock, AR, on October 19 to discuss compliance options under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan. The workshop was the second in a series of stakeholder workshops in the midcontinent focused on implementing the Clean Power Plan. The event brought together state officials and stakeholders from the region, including those participating in the Midcontinent States Environmental and Energy Regulators group and the Midwestern Power Sector Collaborative. Continue reading »
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