After nearly three decades of impact-driven growth and consensus-based leadership, the Great Plains Institute (GPI) is launching a national search for its next Chief Executive Officer. Continue reading »
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Understanding Industrial Gas Regulation in Minnesota’s Clean Heat Transition
December 16, 2025 in Energy Systems Authors: Hallie Turner, Hannah Dobie
Minnesota has a statutory net-zero emissions target for 2050, which will require emissions reductions in the industrial sector. In 2022, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency found that gas use in the industrial sector contributed to a greater share of statewide greenhouse gas emissions than gas use in residential, commercial, and electricity generation sectors. Decarbonizing industrial gas end uses is challenging due to high heat needs, specialized equipment, and cost barriers associated with alternative technologies. Continue reading »
GPI and CEG Report Explores Performance-Based Regulation for Virginia’s Electric Utilities
December 4, 2025 in Energy Systems Authors: Aileen Cole, Dan Cross-Call
In the November 2025 elections, energy affordability was a top-priority issue for voters nationwide, who are feeling the pressure of rising energy bills. It was a central theme in the elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and Georgia, and Virginia’s new Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger highlighted lower energy bills among the three priorities in the Affordable Virginia Plan on which she campaigned, alongside healthcare and homeownership. Continue reading »
Rolf Nordstrom Announces Retirement From GPI, Summer 2026
November 26, 2025 in News & Press Author: Drew Henry
After nearly two decades leading GPI, one of the longest-tenured nonprofit executives in Minnesota, Rolf Nordstrom announced this week that he will retire from the organization on July 31, 2026. Rolf’s time as president and CEO was transformative and was essential to defining the organization’s local and national impact, reach, and leadership in the energy and climate space. Continue reading »
John Lee, Former CEO of Barr Engineering, Joins GPI’s Board of Directors
November 12, 2025 in News & Press Author: Drew Henry
National leader in infrastructure development adds technical and executive leadership to advancing the clean energy transition
The Great Plains Institute (GPI) announced today that John Lee, retired president and CEO of Barr Engineering Co., has joined its board of directors. Lee brings more than four decades of leadership and engineering experience, including overseeing Barr’s transformation into a 1,000-person firm known for its technical excellence, collaborative culture, and commitment to sustainable infrastructure and environmental innovation. Continue reading »
A Future Beyond Energy: Economic Diversification in Itasca County and Greater Northern Minnesota
October 31, 2025 in Communities, Energy Systems Authors: Amy Ward, Catherine Kemp
Across the United States, communities that have hosted coal-fired power plants for decades are now grappling with an urgent question: What comes next when those plants transition away from coal in the shift to cleaner, more affordable energy? Continue reading »
It’s Electric! E-Bike Usage Takes Off in the United States: Part Two
October 22, 2025 in Transportation & Fuels Author: M. Moaz Uddin
In part one of this blog series, we explored the rapid rise in electric bike (e-bike) usage and the public investments fueling this trend. E-bikes can play a key role in building a more reliable, affordable, and sustainable transportation system that reduces dependence on personal vehicles, an important part of GPI’s work to decarbonize transportation. State rebate programs and local incentives have made e-bikes more accessible than ever. Continue reading »
Emerald Ash Borer Threatens Minnesota’s Forest Carbon Stocks
October 10, 2025 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Matt Creasy
Climate change in the Midwest could degrade one of our forest’s primary defenses—cold weather—against an invasive beetle known as the emerald ash borer. As the tiny invader continues its spread in the Midwest, GPI is examining its impact in our home state of Minnesota. The beetle eventually kills a large number of trees in its path, generating large volumes of biomass in the form of wood waste. Continue reading »
Local Planner and Sustainability Staff Survey on Needs for Advancing Climate Work
October 8, 2025 in Communities, News & Press Author: Mackenzie Love
What tools and resources do local planners and sustainability staff need to address pressing climate issues in their day-to-day work? A new survey from GPI, in partnership with the American Planning Association Sustainable Communities Division and the Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund, aims to answer that and other questions to help guide the development of future tools and resources. Continue reading »
Central Arkansas Action Plan Models Southern Leadership in Sustainable Development, Healthy Communities, and Environmental Stewardship
September 23, 2025 in Energy Systems Author: Tricia Treece
In the heart of the South, Central Arkansas is stepping up to tackle environmental challenges while promoting economic and social benefits. The recently published Central Arkansas Energy and Environment Innovation Comprehensive Action Plan provides a strategic framework for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improving air and water quality, and enhancing community resilience through five voluntary measures. Continue reading »
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