Kennecott to close its last coal plant in Utah, switch to renewable energy

FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享The Salt Lake Tribune:Completing a shift to renewable energy, Kennecott Utah Copper will shut down its last coal-fired power plant in Magna, shrinking its carbon footprint by as much as 65% — a total of more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to its owners.Rio Tinto, Kennecott’s corporate parent, announced Wednesday that power to the copper producer 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 generated in Wyoming.The move formalizes a transition that has been underway at Kennecott Utah Copper, which mines and processes copper ore at its vast industrial network on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, for the past several years, according to spokesman Kyle Bennett.“This ensures we are offsetting the electrical demand we use across our Utah operations with certified renewable energy certificates,” Bennett said. “Rio Tinto wants to be carbon neutral by 2050. Every operation within the portfolio would have to look at ways to achieve that.”Kennecott’s 75-megawatt Unit 4, added in 1960 and idled for the past two years, is the last coal-fired power plant on Utah’s crowded Wasatch Front and perhaps the oldest in Utah.More: Good news for Salt Lake Valley’s air: Kennecott to close its last coal plant, shift to renewable energy Kennecott to close its last coal plant in Utah, switch to renewable energy