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Cities Across Minnesota Are Becoming EV Smart

August 25, 2023 in Communities, Transportation & Fuels Authors: Alejandro Nakpil, Diana McKeown

Green electric vehicle charging sign

This blog was updated from a blog originally authored by Diana McKeown on November 15, 2022. 

In November of 2022, the Great Plains Institute launched the EV Smart program in Minnesota. EV Smart is a voluntary certification and recognition program funded by the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Clean Transportation Pilot Program. GPI designed EV Smart to provide communities with a road map to electric vehicle (EV) readiness and help them equitably achieve their EV-readiness goals through technical assistance and a peer cohort model.   Continue reading »

Inflation Reduction Act Anniversary Highlights Essential Role of Engaging Communities

August 16, 2023 in News & Press Author: Rolf Nordstrom

Closeup of a microphone in a room with the people in the background blurred

Although less than a quarter of Americans know much about the Inflation Reduction Act even a year later, it still has the potential to improve people’s lives and transform our energy system and economy for the better. Whether we will realize the full potential of this historic legislation depends on how we approach public engagement, who is at the proverbial table, and what outcomes we’re optimizing for. Continue reading »

DOE Selects Awardees to Deploy Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs

August 11, 2023 in Carbon Management, Energy Systems Author: Ben Finzel

The following statement may be attributed to Patrice Lahlum, vice president of Carbon Management (interim) at the Great Plains Institute:

“The Great Plains Institute welcomes today’s announcement by the US Department of Energy (DOE) of their selection of two commercial-scale and 19 early-stage projects for award negotiations for the Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs program. This selection is pivotal for advancing the development and implementation of direct air capture (DAC) technologies essential for curbing US carbon emissions and achieving midcentury climate goals. Continue reading »

GPI Announces New Vision, Mission, and Values

August 10, 2023 in News & Press Author: Rolf Nordstrom


I’m pleased to announce the Great Plains Institute’s new vision, mission, and values, which reflect how GPI has grown as an organization and describe the world we’re trying to bring about.

Our new vision is an equitable net-zero carbon economy.

Our new mission is to accelerate the transition to net-zero carbon emissions for the benefit of people, the economy, and the environment.

Our new values—trusted, equitable, inclusive, pragmatic, and transformative—are at the core of our culture and key to our impact.

I invite you to watch our short video, which describes why we’ve revised our mission, vision, and values and what they mean to us. It also describes the monumental opportunity we see to help communities, states, utilities, and other key actors implement clean energy at an unprecedented speed and scale while ensuring that the jobs, wealth creation opportunities, and human health benefits of this global transition are accessible to all.

Keep up to date with news from GPI by signing up for our monthly newsletter.

Capturing Carbon at Industrial Facilities Leads to Billions of Dollars in Annual US Health Benefits

August 7, 2023 in Carbon Management, News & Press Author: Ben Finzel

First-of-its-kind study quantifies health impact of the co-benefits of reducing other air pollutants with carbon capture technologies

August 7, 2023, MINNEAPOLIS—Installing technologies designed to capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial and power facilities has the potential to result in billions of annual health benefits nationwide. These health benefits are directly tied to the reduction of other air pollutants that would also be removed in a carbon capture system, according to a first-of-its-kind study—Carbon Capture Co-benefits: Carbon Capture’s Role in Removing Pollutants and Reducing Health Impacts—from the Great Plains Institute and Carbon Solutions, LLC.

Continue reading »

GPI to Help More Communities Become Solar Ready with SolSmart

July 11, 2023 in Renewable Energy Author: Sydne Tursky

Man installing solar panels on a roof

Since 2016, the federal SolSmart program has helped 500 communities become solar ready. Now, the program is aiming to designate 500 more communities over the next few years. The Great Plains Institute is a SolSmart liaison. Through our recruitment efforts, we’ve helped about 100 communities become solar ready. Most recently, we helped Minnetonka, Minnesota, achieve Bronze designation in the program’s new phase. Continue reading »

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