Our Approach

Convene, Inform, Agree, Act

The Great Plains Institute is an organization of leaders and experts dedicated to engaging and collaborating with stakeholders, organizations, and communities to craft energy solutions that benefit people, the economy, and the environment.

Why GPI is Different


Throughout the last 25 years, we have developed a unique recipe for success that is founded on five core values.

The following values inform the way we work both inside and outside of GPI. It is important to us to be trusted, inclusive, equitable, pragmatic, and transformative:

  • Trusted

    We base our approach and actions on trust, mutual respect, and accountability.

  • Inclusive

    We achieve impact through inclusive and deliberate collaboration with a diversity of interests.

  • Equitable

    We strive for equity in our approach and outcomes.

  • Pragmatic

    We take a clear-eyed view of the world as it is even as we seek to improve it.

  • Transformative

    We are a bold and passionate catalyst for change.

We focus on five major areas of work


We live in a world where people carry computers in their pockets that are so powerful they would have been unimaginable 20 years ago. Each of us can connect to nearly any piece of information or individual with a few taps of our fingers or clicks of a mouse.
The energy system is also becoming more connected, giving us the opportunity to save money on our energy costs, make decisions that improve our communities, create jobs, and reduce our emissions.

At the Great Plains Institute, our work is national in scope
in five key parts of the energy system:

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Carbon Management

We are leading regional and national efforts with government, industry, labor, and nonprofit organizations to achieve the economic, jobs, and environmental benefits of deploying carbon management technologies critical to reaching mid century decarbonization goals.

Learn more about our work in Carbon Management →

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Communities

Cities and communities are critical to creating a better energy system because collectively they are big enough to matter and small enough to make changes quickly. GPI’s programs are designed to assist communities in different ways with all the elements needed to drive change.

Learn more about our work in Communities →

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Energy Systems

We’re working to decarbonize the electricity sector by midcentury through transformative system change to energy markets and infrastructure, utility regulation, and by aligning financial incentives with this goal.

Learn more about our work in Energy Systems →

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Renewable Energy

Renewable energy generation capacity in the US must increase dramatically to achieve a carbon-free electricity sector by 2035. As renewable energy becomes the economic leader in clean energy generation, we must resolve new deployment issues and challenges to realize our decarbonization goals.

Learn more about our work in Renewable Energy →

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Transportation & Fuels

By creating fuels and chemicals from renewable sources while electrifying the transportation system we can reduce emissions by 50-90 percent while also cutting the cost per mile.

Learn more about our work in Transportation & Fuels →

Please contact us if you would like to explore a partnership opportunity or use our services for your upcoming project.

Contact us

Our Services

Beyond the projects we develop ourselves, GPI offers a range of services and skills on a fee-for-service basis to clients ranging from individual companies and government agencies to groups, associations, states, and communities.

  • Technical assistance

    We provide local energy and climate action planning, best practices, analysis, mapping, models, and, where appropriate, direct assistance.

  • Communications and education

    We provide educational resources and conduct outreach to increase understanding and engagement on important energy issues.

  • Facilitation

    We provide expert facilitation that enables groups, including those with diverse interests and perspectives, to tackle complex energy challenges.

  • Advocacy

    We advocate for policy and regulatory change at all levels of government, on behalf of our stakeholders.