Utilities Transition: Restorative Public Utility Plan
Hibbing, Minnesota
Multiphase project: 2021 – Present 

The Hibbing Public Utility Commission retained Yorth Group to develop a path to help the utility become regulatory compliant on CO2  emissions and other pollutants, and to become more resilient in response to disruption of climate and other threats.

Yorth recognized that conventional carbon capture solutions were financially prohibitive and would deliver only temporary relief, without producing economic or social benefits. To establish an innovative pathway, Yorth helped form a consortium of local stakeholders, including state regulators, industry, and political leaders. Implementation is underway.  

Deliverables:

• An industrial symbiotic infrastructure that makes the utility net-zero, net-positive, reducing emissions by 150K tons and turning the CO2 into a marketable product while creating hundreds of new jobs and a new economy worth multiple $100Ms annually 

• An innovative alternative to conventional regulatory compliance that is more financially feasible and creates conditions for other challenged Minnesota Iron Range industries, including lumber and mining 

• A roadmap for large private sector investments in the public infrastructure, de-risking actions while laying the foundation for economic variety and resilience in the region 

By delivering a clear vision of restorative success, Yorth Group has charted a measurable path for the implementation of the city’s Restorative Utility Plan beyond compliance, ensuring net-positive results for all stakeholders, and a pathway beyond economic stagnation for the city and its greater region.