Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs), the Minnesota statewide partnership to support community-based clean energy projects, is now accepting applications for seed grants for 2024! Applications are due at noon on October 10, 2023, and projects will be conducted from January 2024 through January 2025. Read the request for proposal for the full criteria and eligibility. Continue reading »
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GPI Applauds Launch of Coalition to Advance Sustainable Aviation Fuels in Minnesota
August 29, 2023 in News & Press, Transportation & Fuels Author: Darren Goode GPI Vice President for Transportation and Fuels Brendan Jordan issued the following statement on today’s launch of the Minnesota Sustainable Aviation Fuel Hub, a new coalition led by the GREATER MSP Partnership, Bank of America, Delta Air Lines, Ecolab, and Xcel Energy. Continue reading »
Cities Across Minnesota Are Becoming EV Smart
August 25, 2023 in Communities, Transportation & Fuels Authors: Alejandro Nakpil, Diana McKeownThis 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 »
Innovative Project Shows How Solar Power Benefits Extend to Sustainable Farming
August 23, 2023 in Renewable Energy Author: Brian RossMinnesota’s landmark climate law requires all utilities to accelerate solar and other renewable energy deployment. But the benefits of wind and solar farms can extend far beyond providing emission-free power, including integration with, and support for, the agricultural economic base of states with extensive farmland similar to Minnesota. Continue reading »
Inflation Reduction Act Anniversary Highlights Essential Role of Engaging Communities
August 16, 2023 in News & Press Author: Rolf NordstromAlthough 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 »
GPI’s Electric Vehicle Charging Station Economics Calculator
August 11, 2023 in Energy Systems, Transportation & Fuels Author: Dane McFarlaneThis blog was originally published August 15, 2019. The calculator was updated in 2023 to include a mechanism that allows users to input EV charging station customer pricing by the kilowatt-hour instead of only by the minute. Please contact the Transportation & Fuels team with any questions about the calculator. Continue reading »
DOE Selects Awardees to Deploy Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs
August 11, 2023 in Carbon Management, Energy Systems Author: Ben FinzelThe 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 »
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.
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Event Preview: Join Us for Our CO2NNECT 2023 Carbon Management Event
August 8, 2023 in Carbon Management, News & Press Author: Diana LeaneJoin the Great Plains Institute’s Carbon Action Alliance in New Mexico from Sunday, October 1, to Tuesday, October 3, for CO2NNECT 2023, a three-day event that brings together stakeholders to discuss key themes in carbon management—including public engagement, environmental justice, and community and worker benefits. Continue reading »
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 FinzelFirst-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.
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