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

However, copper plays an essential role in the country's future energy needs.

“More and more people are driving electric vehicles, everything we use in our homes, smart devices are using 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,” Cox said.

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

Walker said this should help reduce air pollution in the valley. Now the company buys all of its electricity through renewable energy credits. Next year, Kennecott hopes to reduce its carbon footprint by 80% compared to 2019 emissions, he added.

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

Other companies across the state are also taking innovative measures to reduce their carbon footprint, Cox said. The governor, who has supported the Republican Party's opposition to phasing out coal-fired power plants, argued that while the government will not be able to regulate its way out of environmental concerns, it can innovatively find its way out.

“These are the types of innovations that make sense. This saves money and improves the environment. That's kind of the Holy Grail if you can do both. That leads to better results,” Cox said. “As we begin this legislative session, you will see more announcements about how we can increase energy production while ensuring we treat the environment in a way that is good for everyone who lives here.”

The copper business is more important today than it was in 1903, when the mine opened, Cox said. The country must stop the import of 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 for supplying the country with the necessary metals to make the energy transition work.

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

Fuel is sourced from HF Sinclair, which provides two 756,000-gallon renewable diesel tanks for the mine, according to a Press release.

The company has been testing renewable diesel since 2023, comparing two trucks that run on regular diesel with two others that use the renewable fuel.

Acceleration, cycle time, fuel economy and engine inspection report results for renewable energy-powered trucks were successful and similar to those of Rio Tinto's Boton mine in California, which transitioned entirely from fossil fuels in 2023.