As we close out the year, we’re taking a look at the most-read stories on our blog. In GPI’s top ten stories of 2023, you can see the issues people were most interested in understanding and reading about across our portfolio of work. Continue reading »
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Minnesota Fires Offer Lessons on Resilience Measures
December 18, 2023 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Hannah Haas
Minnesota’s largest wildfire in a century started with a lightning strike in August 2011. It burned slowly for a few weeks before more than tripling in size in a few days, driven by an unprecedented wind event. All told, the Pagami Creek Fire burned more than 92,000 acres of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Almost ten years later, the Greenwood Fire burned nearly 20,000 acres, mostly within the Superior National Forest, which prompted the first temporary closure of the Boundary Waters since the 1970s. Continue reading »
GPI Welcomes Drew Henry as Communications Director
December 12, 2023 in News & Press Author: Rolf Nordstrom
I am delighted to welcome Drew Henry as the Great Plains Institute’s communications director. Drew will lead GPI’s communications efforts in crafting the organization’s message, elevating our work and the work of our partners, and delivering strategic and tactical support to GPI’s program teams. Continue reading »
New Analysis Highlights Carbon Capture and Storage Opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic Region
November 27, 2023 in Carbon Management Author: Kelley Reierson
The United States must rapidly decarbonize its industrial and energy production sectors to meet its midcentury climate goals, and carbon management is essential to meeting this objective. Carbon management has an important and complementary role alongside other emissions reduction strategies in decarbonizing sectors across our economy while protecting high-wage jobs. Continue reading »
Transportation Electrification Progress Since the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act
November 22, 2023 in Transportation & Fuels Author: M. Moaz Uddin
Two years ago this month, Congress passed the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Transportation electrification was one of the priorities in the legislation—electric vehicles and related infrastructure were eligible for $30.7 billion of the funding. We broke down the electric vehicle programs in a previous blog. Continue reading »
US DOE Awards $464 Million for Innovative Electric Grid Project Jointly Proposed by Minnesota Commerce Department, GPI, MISO, and SPP
November 7, 2023 in Energy Systems Author: Jennifer Christensen
The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced a historic investment in our nation’s electric grid, with $3.46 billion for projects across the US to “strengthen electric grid resilience and reliability.” The announcement included $464 million to fund a proposal jointly developed by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Great Plains Institute, Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), and Southwest Power Pool (SPP) for DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program. The project will spur the development of zero-carbon electricity generation across several states by supporting essential transmission infrastructure. Continue reading »
GPI Diversifies Board to Reflect Growing National Reach and Scope
October 17, 2023 in News & Press Author: Darren Goode
Comes as organization beginning three-year plan to accelerate decarbonization solutions across economy
October 17, 2023, MINNEAPOLIS—The Great Plains Institute has added three members to its board of directors who represent the organization’s growing and diverse national focus and priorities. Continue reading »
PV-SuCCESS to Help Communities Harness Ecosystem Benefits of Solar Deployment
October 16, 2023 in Renewable Energy Author: Zane Franke
As demand for and development of solar energy rapidly grows, opposition to large-scale solar projects from host community residents and non-energy stakeholders can hinder the solar permitting processes. This opposition is frequently rooted in stakeholders’ concern for natural resources, agricultural practices, local economic base, and rural character. Continue reading »
Federal Hydrogen Hubs Funding Launches New Clean Economy Opportunities
October 13, 2023 in News & Press Author: Darren Goode
MINNEAPOLIS—The Great Plains Institute (GPI) released the following statement by President and CEO Rolf Nordstrom on the Biden-Harris Administration’s announcement of seven regional clean hydrogen hubs selected to receive $7 billion in federal funding:
“Today’s announcement of federally supported hydrogen hubs launches a new opportunity to equitably build a clean hydrogen economy, and GPI looks forward to working with the new hubs to accelerate decarbonization across the economy. GPI is working to enable the development of a robust and equitable clean hydrogen economy to expand our nation’s portfolio of options for decarbonizing some of the hardest-to-decarbonize sectors, such as agriculture, heavy industry, and parts of the transportation sector. Continue reading »
Learn about the Clean Fuel States Collaborative
October 9, 2023 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Mariem Zaghdoudi
If you ask the average American how many entities they think are involved in designing a complex policy, they’ll likely say: “Many.” We at the Great Plains Institute (GPI) have found that to be true. To design policy to achieve multiple objectives, it’s critical to engage as many of the stakeholders that would be impacted by that legislation as early in the process as possible. Continue reading »
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