Kennecott Utah Copper will shut down its last coal power plant in Magna and shift to renewable energy, cutting its carbon footprint by as much as 65% — a total of more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, according to its owners.
Rio Tinto announced Wednesday that power to the mining company will come from 1.5 million megawatt hours of renewable energy certificates purchased from Rocky Mountain Power, which will be “primarily sourced from its Utah-allocated portfolio including wind power from Wyoming.”
Gov. Gary Herbert called the move “a win-win for our community. Their decision will simultaneously support Utah's shift toward a low-carbon economy and improve air quality in the Salt Lake Valley.