GPI AnnualReport 2012 Print

7/30/2019 GPI AnnualReport 2012 Print

1/10

2012

ANNUALREPORT

GREAT PLAINS INSTITUTE

2801 21st

Ave South, Suite 220, Minneapolis, MN 55407

WWW.GPISD.NET


2/10

The fact that you are reading this tells me that you are

civic-minded; that you see xing our energy system

as a prerequisite to sustainable human progress;

that you are frustrated by the lack of civil discourse in

our political system; and that you long to know that

there are other smart, thoughtful, passionate people

who are working to leave the world better than they

found it. This is the inter-generational Golden Rule.

I want to focus on the word better because it plays

prominently in our new tagline Better Energy.

Better World. But what do we mean by better?

What would you call a world in which we no

longer waste a majority of the energy we produce,

and buildings advertised how much energy they

consume? A world where the vast majority of

the energy that fuels our economyour homes,

businesses and factoriescomes from sources

such as wind, solar, hydro and biomass? Where

climate-altering carbon dioxide emissions from

fossil fuels are captured and put to productive use,

such as recovering more domestic oil from existingwells while permanently keeping that CO2 out of

the atmosphere? What about a world in which our

vehicles run on advanced biofuels, electricity, zero-

emission hydrogen, and natural and renewable

gas? Or a world where cities manage their water,

waste, energy, and development in ways that make

them truly sustainable for the long haul?

We call this world better. I also believe that better

captures the soul of GPI. We have an ambitious

vision, but are pragmatic about getting there,

which means making things better as we strive for

perfection.

And our ability to pursue better is made possible by

you. Many thanks for your generous support of o ur

work. On the next few pages we highlight our good

partner, Great River Energy, and two people who

have been critical to our success. We are deeply

appreciative of Jonathan Wilmshurst and the late

Elsie Mitchell, as well as all of you who share our

vision for a world powered by clean, secure, and

sustainable energy.

Warm regards,

Rolf NordstromExecutive Director

P.S. To quote one of my sons favorite childrens

books, UNLESS someone like you cares a whole

awful lot, nothing is going to get better, its not.

I ALSO BELIEVE THAT BETTER CAPTURES THE

SOUL OF GPI. WE HAVE AN AMBITIOUS VISION,

BUT ARE PRAGMATIC ABOUT GETTING THERE,WHICH MEANS MAKING THINGS BETTER AS WE

STRIVE FOR PERFECTION.


3/10

PARTNERSHIPSGreat River Energy

Great River Energy (GRE) is a not-or-proft electric cooperative owned by 28members. Based on generating capacity,GRE is the second largest power supplierin Minnesota, servicing about 1.7 millionpeople. The cooperative owns andmaintains 12 power plants and purchasesadditional power rom several wind armsand other generating acilities, ocusing onthree organizational priorities - aordablerates, reliable service and environmentalstewardship.

GREs commitment to energy efciency

and conservation is demonstrated by theirPlatinum LEED (Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design) certifedheadquarters building in Maple Grove, thefrst new acility in Minnesota to achievethat distinction.

Our relationship with Great River Energystarted in 2000 when GRE became amember o the Powering the Plainsstakeholder group. More recently, wepartnered with them to answer thequestion Can biomass be used toreduce greenhouse gases at a utility-scalepower plant without substantially raisingthe price o electricity or customers?

The frst step was assembling a projectteam representing industry, conservationgroups, agriculture and the fnancialcommunity to conduct a easibility study.

Based on study results, GRE decidedto pursue the Dakota Spirit AgEnergy(DSA) project, a bio-refnery co-locatedat Spiritwood Station in Jamestown,North Dakota. The DSA plan includes twophases - a conventional dry mill ethanolplant to establish commercial economiesin the frst phase, with the second phasebeing a proposed expansion with bolt-oncellulosic biouel production using locallysupplied corn stover and wheat straw.The project hopes to leverage synergiesrom co-location where the power plantprovides steam or the bio-refnery and thebio-refnery supplies a portion o the uelor the power plant.

GRE has shown leadership in promotingan efcient industrial ecosystem. The DSAproject will improve efciency throughco-location as waste rom one projectbecomes a raw material or another, saysBrendan Jordan, GPI Program Director,DSA is paving the way to cleaner biouelsby integrating frst generation andadvanced biouels a practical approachthat will oer steady improvement in theplants carbon ootprint over time.

2 | GREAT PLAINS INSTITUTE | Annual Report 2012


4/10

When asked to describe his lie, Jonathan

Wilmshurst starts by saying, I come rom a long

line o peasants in the United Kingdom and my

proessional career started with a love o rocks.

He did indeed grow up in Kent, England, andater visiting a mine at the age o ten, realized

that rocks were going to play an inuential role in

his lie. Ater graduating rom Oxord University

with a degree in, surprise Geology, he went to

work or Aggregate Industries, a U.K. company.

In 1988, he moved to Minnesota to join CAMAS,

a U.S. subsidiary. Jonathan has spent over 30

years in the construction aggregates business,

serving in both executive management positions

and as an industry consultant.

Ater Governor Carlsons Roundtable on

Sustainable Development dissolved in the late-

1990s, Jonathan became a ounding ather

o the Great Plains Institute. Why orm GPI?

Sustainable development is simply commonsense. he says. Why would any person or

business want to waste resources and jeopardize

the quality o lie o uture generations? He

was GPIs frst Board Chair, guided the Institute

through its frst strategic plan, and hired the

organizations frst Executive Director.

Ater leaving the board, Jonathan has continued to

be a generous fnancial contributor. GPI remains

committed to our initial values..a willingness

to discuss the energy and climate problems

others dont want to discuss, and a willingness to

reach across the aisle to build consensus. says

Jonathan. I give because I believe in the sta

and urgent importance o their work.

Jonathan made another important discovery

while in England - meeting his uture wie, Sarah,

while in high school. The Wilmshurst amily, which

resides in Rosemount, includes two daughters,

Emily and Sophie. In his spare time, Jonathan

enjoys being outdoors and spending time at two

cabins one on armland in North Dakota and

another in Beaver Bay on the North Shore. He

has served on the boards o Great River Greening

and The Nature Conservancy, and is a member

o GPIs Executive Advisory Council.

The Great Plains Institute would not exist withoutthe eorts o Jonathan Wilmshurst, says Rol

Nordstrom, Executive Director. He has given so

much, and he continues to give.

COMMON PURPOSEJonathan Wilmshurst

GPI REMAINS COMMITTED TO OUR INITIAL

VALUES..A WILLINGNESS TO DISCUSS

THE ENERGY AND CLIMATE PROBLEMS

OTHERS DONT WANT TO DISCUSS, AND AWILLINGNESS TO REACH ACROSS THE AISLE

TO BUILD CONSENSUS

2012 Accomplishments

More GreenStep CitiesWe lead this public-private partnership,which includes the Minnesota PollutionControl Agency, League o Minnesota Cities,and several other organizations. GreenStepCities is a voluntary challenge, assistanceand recognition program based upon 28best practices to help cities achieve theirsustainability and quality-o-lie goals.Statewide participation has grown to49 cities, up rom 32 last year.



5/10

Last December, the Great Plains Institute lost

a great riend and supporter. While we are

saddened by her passing, Elsie led a ull and

active lie; she turned 102 years old last August. I

ones legacy is defned by their generosity, Elsies

legacy is secure.

She grew up on a arm in Bualo, MN, without

running water or electricity. Elsies mother died

when she was very young, and her ather relied on

his six children to work the arm. She graduated

rom high school in 1935. With jobs hard to fnd,

she ended up moving to Caliornia or a clerical

job in a doctors ofce, working there or 35 years.

While in Caliornia, she met her late husband,

Mitch, a Los Angeles police ofcer.

Early in her retirement, Elsie had an epiphany.

Ater returning home rom a bridge game, she

made a promise to hersel - I decided right there

and then that being an excellent bridge player was

not meaningul enough. I wanted to do more.

The next day, Elsie went to volunteer at the localhospital, a hospital that also beneftted greatly

rom the Mitchells fnancial generosity over the

years. The Mitchells did not have any children,

and when Mitch passed away Elsie returned to

Minnesota to be closer to relatives. She continued

her philanthropy and volunteered at a hospital in

Edina until she was 96.

Mike Niles, Director o Development &Communications, remembers his frst visit with

Elsie to discuss GPIs work. She immediately

asked my opinion about climate change and why

nothing is being done about it. And when Elsie

believes that something is the right thing to do, she

wants to play a role in mak ing it happen. In a short

period o time, Elsie became one o the Institutes

largest beneactors. She made a generous git in

support o the National Enhanced Oil Recovery

Initiative and sponsored our frst Innovations in

Energy Event at the Minneapolis Institute o Art

last November.

When she turned 100, Elsie was asked the secret

to a long and successul lie. Her response - Live

smart and try to do your best. When mine is over,I hope I have done something good or the world,

or the world has been good to me.

IN MEMORIAMElsie Mitchell

LIVE SMART AND TRY TO DO YOUR BEST.

WHEN MINE IS OVER, I HOPE I HAVE DONE

SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE WORLD, FOR

THE WORLD HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME.


A Powerul EnergyAnalytic Tool Goes OnlineWe partnered with the World ResourcesInstitute to launch the Power Almanac o the

American Midwest, a comprehensive onlinetool that includes interactive maps, charts,and other energy data or twelve Midweststates. The Power Almanac inorms policymakers, industry, and energy analysts o theregions electric resources, opportunities, andchallenges.

GREAT PLAINS INSTITUTE | Annual Report 2012 | 7


6/10

In November, we welcomed Win Rockwell toour Board o Directors. He is a partner in theMinneapolis ofce o Faegre Baker Daniels. Inhis litigation practice, Win has led the productliability group, with a principal concentrationon the agricultural and lie science sectors.

Win served as associate general counselo President Carters Commission on the

Accident at Three Mile Island and served asthe lead private investigator in two subsequentinvestigations o alleged wrong-doing atThree Mile Island.

At Faegre Baker Daniels, Win has servedon the Management Board, as liaison to itsinternational ofces, and as a principal inthe development o frm strategy. He alsoled the development and launching o thefrms industry ocuses and has been activelyinvolved in the frms diversity eorts.

I accepted the Institutes invitation to join

the Board, says Win, because its policywork addresses one o the central issues o

our time, the need to accelerate a transitionto a low carbon economy and avert thedevastating eects o climate change. TheInstitute brings deep experience in conveningstakeholders o disparate views to addressenergy and climate policy through constructive

civil discourse. GPI also has a highly eectiveleader in Executive Director Rol Nordstrom. Iwas drawn to the opportunity to support Roland the Institute in this work.

Win also serves on the Minnesota AdvisoryBoard o The Trust or Public Land, the

Advisory Board o the Joint Degree Programin Law Health and the Lie Sciences at theUniversity o Minnesota, the Minneapolisdowntown Gateway Committee, the GreeningPublic Realm Implementation Committeeor the Minneapolis Downtown 2025 Plan,and on the Minneapolis RiverFirst SteeringCommittee. He lives in Minneapolis with hiswie Binky.

NEW BOARD MEMBERWin Rockwell


Innovations in Energy Series

Aimed at broadening community awareness o keyenergy issues, this event drew over 100 attendees.

Local meteorologist, Paul Douglas, shared hisjourney rom skeptic to strong advocate or climatechange mitigation strategies.

Dawn Erlandson, Immediate Past Chair

Larry Goode, Treasurer

Julie Ketchum, Secretary

Christopher Neher, Vice Chair

Rol Nordstrom, Executive Director

John Wells, Chair

John Baumgartner

Kim Carlson

Kathryn Draeger

Michael Jerstad

Will Kaul

Winthrop Win Rockwell

I ACCEPTED THE INSTITUTES INVITATION TO

JOIN THE BOARD, BECAUSE ITS POLICY WORK

ADDRESSES ONE OF THE CENTRAL ISSUES

OF OUR TIME, THE NEED TO ACCELERATE ATRANSITION TO A LOW CARBON ECONOMY

AND AVERT THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF

CLIMATE CHANGE.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

8 | GREAT PLAINS INSTITUTE | Annual Report 2012 GREAT PLAINS INSTITUTE | Annual Report 2012 | 9


7/10

YOUR

GENEROSITYIS HAVING A

BIG IMPACT!

You are the MVPsbehind the MVPS

In partnership with the Midwestern Governors Association (MGA), we were a key stakeholderin the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) planning and approval process or over$5 billion in regionally benefcial transmission lines, reerred to as Multi-Value Projects (MVPs).The identifcation and building o MVPs is critical to increasing the amount o wind energy onthe electric grid. The process ocuses on the inter-state coordination and permitting issuesthat have historically been barriers to getting MVP lines built, as well as how the costs o theselines will be allocated between states and the potential impacts o these lines on aectedcommunities.

Participating stakeholders include MISO, Organization o MISO States (OMS) utilitycommissioners and the Clean Energy Advocates Group. Three MISO MPV s are currently underconstruction including the critical Brookings/ Twin Cities line ,with several more in Iowa andWisconsin entering the state permitting phase this year.

THANKS TO YOU, we made signifcant progress

this year along the path to better energy reducing

greenhouse gases and the environmental impacts

o ossil energy, modernizing the nations energy

inrastructure, advancing low-carbon transportation

uels, and building more sustainable communities.As always, consensus-building and collaboration

provided the oundation or this progress, and we want

to acknowledge the contributions o all o our partners.



8/10

A Win-Win or the Environment and the EconomyWe launched the National Enhanced Oil Recovery Initiative (NEORI), in partnership with theCenter or Climate and Energy Solutions. This diverse stakeholder group was responsible ordeveloping, refning, and reaching consensus on recommendations and work products. Theconclusion o the frst phase o the Initiative resulted in the introduction o bi-partisan legislationS. 3581 by Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND), Mike Enzi (R-WY), and Jay Rockeeller (D-WV).

In CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR), oil producers inject CO2 into existing wells to drawotherwise inaccessible oil to the surace, which sustains production in otherwise decliningoil felds. Enhanced oil recovery was frst used in West Texas during the 1970s and currentlyaccounts or about 6 percent o U.S. oil production. The goal o NEORI is to accelerate thecommercialization o this highly benefcial but tremendously under- utilized practice. The NEORIplan includes ederal and state incentives to reduce the cost o CO2 capture and to build out newCO2 pipelines. Broad adoption o the NEORI plan will result in signifcant improvements to energysecurity, the economy, and the environment.

Building Momentum or Industrial Energy EfciencyAs part o the Midwestern Governors Associations Industrial Energy Initiative, we organizedand co-sponsored an event called The Size o the Prize: Midwest Industrial Energy EfciencySummit, eaturing Illinois Governor Quinn as the keynote speaker and attended by over 100participants; and co-authored a report titledMidwest Manuacturing Snapshot: Energy Use

and Efciency Policies.

A Minnesota Pathway toBio-Products LeadershipWe worked with the BioBusiness Allianceo Minnesota and Lie Science Alley toprepare recommendations or making thestate an industry leader in the productiono advanced/cellulosic biouels and bio-products. The policy committee publishedour recommendations in a report:

Minnesota Roadma p: Recommendations

or Bio-Industrial Processing.

Upgrade Your Biouel Plant

We published a whitepaper,Ethanol in theMidwest: Maximizing Proce ss Efciency

& Environmental Perormance. It providesan overview o technological upgrades thatconventional biouel plants can implement toimprove operational efciencies and reducegreenhouse gas emissions.

North Dakota DelegationStudies Norways Approachto Managing Energy WealthNorway is a global leader in ossil and

renewable energy production, environmentalstewardship, and the responsiblemanagement o oil and gas wealth or uturegenerations. We sent a delegation o privateand public leaders rom North Dakota,which was hosted by the Norwegian Ministryo Petroleum and Energy. Inspired by theNorwegian experience, delegation membersreturned committed to building consensusaround a vision and policy recommendationsor the uture o the states Legacy Fund.

ALL OF OUR 2012 ACCOMPLISHMENTSWERE MADE POSSIBLE BY YOU

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT



9/10

$100,000 or Greater

Argonne Nation al Labs

Energy Foundation

Joyce Foundation

Kresge Foundation

$50,000 to $99,999

Great River Energy

Midwestern Governors Association

New York Community Trust

Rockeeller Family Fund

$10,000 to $49,999

Arch Coal

Bio-Business Alliance o Minnesota

Chevron

Continental

Edgerton Foundation

Energy Center o Wisconsin

Holthues Trust

Jupiter Oxygen

Leucadia

M-RETS

Natural Resources Deense Council

North Dakota National Resources Trust

Prairie Climate Stewardship Network

Southern Company

Summit

The Linde Group

Wal-Mart Foundation

Up to $9,999

Advanced E ngineering & E nvironmental S ervices

Air Product s

Biem Foundation

Braun Intertec

Encana

Growth Energy

Heinrich Boll Foundation

Nature Conservancy

Praxair

Renewable Fuels A ssociation

Tenaska

Ulteig

$500 or GreaterJohn & Cathy Baumgartner

Mike & Sharon Conley

Mike & Dawn Erlandson

Larry & Carol Goode

Frederick & Sarah Haas

Je & Lucy Heegaard

Will & Claudia Kaul

James & Mary Kubiak

Elsie Mitchell

Rol & Kathy Nordstrom

Matt & Anne Schuerger

Bob & Elinor Williams

Jonathan & Sarah Wilmshurst

$100 to $499Paul & Amy Biewen

Kim CarlsonKim & Gail Christianson

Don & Sandra Craighead

Wendell & Susan Fletcher

Mike & Patti Gregerson

Kim Harbinson

Erdys Heywood

Ann Heywoo d & Gene Sta nley

Cecily Hines & Tom Pettus

Michael & Rebecca Hostad

Julie Ketchum

Dana & Bonita Lonn

Paul Meier

Mike & Gisselle Niles

Harry Nordstrom

Tom & Susan Perusse

Lola Schoenrich & Peter Oppenheim

Marlyn Schroeder

Medora Woods

Up to $99

Iver & Nancy Anderson

David & Sally-Anne Benson

Mike Burke

William & Jill Craton

Kathryn Draeger

Sara Grace

Michele Hajek

Tom & Liz Heywood

Karen Lokkesmoe

Marilyn Lundberg

Philipp Muessig

Chris Neher

Carl Nelson

James & Diane Nelson

Warren Park

Joe Richardson

Edyth Schoenrich

Clark Schroeder &

Summer Seidenkranz

Andrea Sp echt

Steve Watson

INDIVIDUALS

DONORS & OTHER SOURCES OF SUPPORT DONORS & OTHER SOURCES OF SUPPORT

ORGANIZATIONS

SUPPORT & REVENUE

Contributions $1,542,600

Government Contracts $120,521

Contracts $301,012

Other Income $3,960

Investment Income $2,625

Total Support & Revenue $1,970,718

EXPENSES

Program Services $1,362,031

Management and General $223,595

Fundraising $108,875

Total Epenses $1,694,501

Change in Net Assets $276,217

Statement of Activities(or the fscal year ending June 30, 2012)



10/10

I HAVE A PASSION FOR PEOPLE AND ORGANIzATIONS THAT ExIST

TO FIGURE OUT BIG, POLITICALLY AND SOCIALLY COMPLEx ISSUES,

AND THAT IS WHAT GPI IS ALL ABOUT.Jim Kubiak, Former Chair of Board of Directors

Our Sta

Amanda B ilek Energy Policy Specialist

Jennifer Christensen Energy Policy Specialist

Brad Crabtree Program Director

Steve Dahlke Energy Policy Specialist

Mike Gregerson Program Consultant

Brendan Jordan Program Director

Patrice Lahlum Program Consultant

Dane McFarlane Energy Policy Analyst

Amir Nadav Energy Policy Specialist

Mike Niles Director o Development & Communications

Rolf Nordstrom Executive Director

Lola Schoenrich Program Director

Eric Schroeder Deputy Director

Amanda Bilek

I grew up on a small crop and livestock arm in central Minnesota.

Environmental stewardship and rural economic development are

key values to my amilys arm operation and values instilled in

me rom an early age. Many o the technology pathways to build

a better energy uture create opportunities or rural economicdevelopment and improved environment benefts. Working at the

Great Plains Institute on issues that will create a more prosperous,

cleaner and secure energy uture allows me to do work every

day that I am passionate about and to build relationships with

community leaders who share a vision or a better energy uture.

Dane McFarlane

GPIs entrepreneurial nature gives me the reedom to pursue

what truly interests me in ways that will have the largest impact

on reversing climate change. By cultivating my technical skills to

contribute analysis or energy policy processes, GPI has provided

me with an opportunity not only to express mysel, but also to

work toward ushering in a clean energy uture, a mission in whichboth I and the organization believe.

As a non-partisa n, non-proft organization, the Great Plains Insti tute takes a pragmatic approach to

energy and climate change challenges working with diverse interests to transorm the way we produce,

distribute, and consume energy to be both environmentally and economically sustainable. Through

research and analysis, consensus policy development, and technology acceleration, we are leading the

transition to clean, efcient and secure energy.

WORKING AT GPIPersonal Perspectives


GPI AnnualReport 2012 Print

Documents