Rio Tinto Boosts Renewable Energy Use with New Texas Wind Power Deal

Rio Tinto has expanded its clean-energy strategy with a new 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) that will supply renewable electricity to its Kennecott copper operations in Utah. The agreement, signed with TerraGen, secures 78.5 megawatts (MW) of power from the newly operational 238.5 MW Monte Cristo I Windpower project in Texas. This move strengthens Rio Tinto’s long-term decarbonization plans and supports growing U.S. demand for domestically sourced critical minerals.

The deal comes shortly after the U.S. government added copper to its list of critical minerals—an important step given copper’s essential role in electric vehicles, renewable energy infrastructure, and modern power grids. With Washington and Canberra working to stabilize and strengthen cooperation on clean energy supply chains, Rio Tinto’s investment reinforces its position in supporting domestic copper production. Kennecott remains one of only two operating copper smelters in the United States, making it a key strategic asset for the nation’s energy transition.

Rio Tinto has committed to reducing its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The company already sources about 78% of its global electricity from renewable energy and plans to increase that figure to around 90% by the end of the decade. The new VPPA builds on recent clean-energy upgrades at Kennecott, including the completion of a 5 MW solar plant in 2023 and the near-finished 25 MW solar facility set to further increase the site’s renewable capacity.

By expanding its renewable footprint, Rio Tinto is positioning itself at the forefront of sustainable mining while meeting rising consumer and governmental expectations for greener supply chains. The Monte Cristo wind partnership marks another significant step toward strengthening both the company’s environmental performance and the resilience of U.S. critical mineral supply.