Recognizing the air quality issues along the Wasatch FrontCox said that while there was a 12% reduction in emissions in Utah between 2017 and 2019, there is still a long way to go.

However, copper plays a vital role in the country’s future energy needs.

“More and more people are driving electric vehicles, everything we use in our households, smart devices all use more and more copper. It is estimated that nearly 2 billion pounds of copper will be needed by 2027 alone to achieve a clean energy future,” said Cox.

Kennecott has plans to expand the mine until about 2040. And in the past there have been some projects to reduce emissions, including the closure of a coal-fired power plant in favor of other renewable energy sources.

That, Walker said, was intended to help reduce air pollution in the valley. The company now buys all its electricity through sustainable energy credits. By next year, Kennecott hopes to have reduced its carbon footprint by 80%, compared to 2019 emissions, he added.

“Hopefully we’ll see a little bit of a cleaner environment,” Walker said. “It won’t solve the inversion, but we’re trying to do our part.”

Other businesses in the state are also taking innovative steps to reduce their carbon footprints, Cox said. The governor, who has supported the Republican Party’s opposition to phasing out coal-fired power plants, argued that while the government may not be able to regulate its way out of environmental problems, it can innovate its way out.

“These are the kinds of innovations that make sense. It saves money and it improves the environment. That’s kind of the holy grail, if you can do both things. That leads to better results,” says Cox. “You’ll see more announcements as we head into this legislative session about how we can produce more energy while still making sure we’re treating the environment in a way that’s good for everyone who lives here.”

The copper business is more important now than it was in 1903, when the mine opened, Cox said. The country must stop importing such materials, he added, “especially by the bad guys out there.”

Walker said Tuesday that continued copper production in Utah is important for the state’s economy, but also to supply the country with the necessary metals to succeed in the energy transition.

“Copper is everywhere. Copper is becoming increasingly important to make modern life work,” said Walker. “It’s in everything: our cell phones, our computers, our refrigerators. It’s in our cars. It is in the power that comes in.”

The fuel comes from HF Sinclair, which is deploying two 756,000-liter tanks for renewable diesel at the mine, according to a statement. press release.

The company has been testing renewable diesel since 2023, comparing two trucks running on regular diesel with two others running on renewable fuel.

The findings in renewable energy truck acceleration, cycle time, fuel consumption and engine inspection reports were successful and comparable to those of Rio Tinto’s Boton mine in California, which made a complete transition from fossil fuels in 2023.