Daybreak community residents are challenged to also buy Blue Sky power

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — In an effort to continue its mission to build sustainable communities, Kennecott Land is helping advance sustainable wind power provided through Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky renewable energy program. Kennecott Land has become a 100 percent Blue Sky Visionary Partner because the company understands sustainable practices are important while creating long-lasting communities that respond to environmental, social and economic needs.

"By changing how we use energy, businesses and individuals can make a big difference – not only on energy conservation and cost savings, but also in protecting the environment," said Peter McMahon, president, Kennecott Land.

Rio Tinto, the parent company of Kennecott Land, champions the idea of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in all of its operations. To demonstrate that commitment, Rio Tinto has developed a climate change strategy. As part of it, Kennecott Land has committed to purchasing 194,900-kilowatt-hours of Blue Sky renewable energy per month, enough to cover 100 percent of its electricity use.

"Kennecott Land is clearly a leader in its efforts to create a more sustainable business and community, and is the first developer to purchase enough renewable energy through Blue Sky to offset the entirety of the electricity used to power its operations," said Rod Fisher, customer and community manager, Rocky Mountain Power.

Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky program gives customers a simple and convenient way to support additional renewable energy use and development and reduce their carbon footprint. Customers can purchase Blue Sky renewable energy in 100-kilowatt-hour increments (known as blocks) for $1.95 per block per month in addition to their regular electric usage, and may cancel at any time. Businesses can save on larger Blue Sky block purchases through the program’s Quantity Savings option.

Kennecott Land is also challenging Daybreak community residents to further support renewable energy use by individually signing up for Blue Sky. Part of this challenge includes a "two-block match" from Kennecott Land for the first 400 households that sign up.

When Daybreak residents buy two blocks of renewable energy, Kennecott Land will buy an additional two blocks on their behalf for12 consecutive months. Since a typical Utah household uses between 700 and 800 kilowatt-hours of electricity each month, Kennecott Land's match will enable most qualifying Daybreak residents to purchase renewable energy equal to at least half of their home's electricity use for less than $4 per month.

"As the landscape manager for Kennecott Land and as a resident of Daybreak, I know the importance our landscape has on reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," said Jeff Haws, Kennecott Land. "I think it is important to do my part as a homeowner and purchase renewable energy for my home. When we all come together, individuals can have a big impact!"   

To sign up for Blue Sky, or to learn more about the program, visit  www.rockymountainpower.net/bluesky or call toll free at 1-800-769-3717.

About Kennecott Land:

Kennecott Land was established by parent company Rio Tinto in April 2001 to protect and develop Kennecott Utah Copper’s 93,000 acres on Salt Lake Valley’s West Bench. Daybreak is the first testament to that vision. Daybreak is situated on 4,126 acres in South Jordan City where 14,000 homes are planned. At Kennecott Land, sustainable development is at the heart of every business decision by balancing the complex interaction of environmental, economic and social factors. Kennecott Land does this in a way that protects and strengthens what matters most to our community: strong and safe neighborhoods, quality education, a healthy and renewable environment, and a vibrant local economy.  www.kennecottland.com and www.daybreakutah.com

About Rio Tinto:

Rio Tinto, the parent company to Kennecott companies, is a world leader in discovering, mining and processing the earth’s mining resources in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible way. Wherever Rio Tinto operates, health and safety is the first priority. Group businesses also put sustainable development at the heart of their operations. They work as closely as possible with host countries and communities, respecting their laws and customs. For Rio Tinto it is important that the environmental effects of its activities are kept to a minimum and that local communities benefit as much as possible from operations. The US businesses produce borates, coal, copper, gold, gypsum, lead, molybdenum, silver, talc and zinc. The company employs 38,000 people worldwide and 2,300 people in Utah.  www.riotinto.com

About Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky program:

Blue Sky provides Rocky Mountain Power customers with a simple and convenient way to add renewable energy to the electrical system and encourage community-based renewable energy projects within the company’s service area. More than 56,400 Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power customers buy Blue Sky throughout the Western U.S., and the program currently ranks second in the nation for customer participation in utility green power options. More than 24,900 Rocky Mountain Power customers buy Blue Sky. Information is available online at  www.rockymountainpower.net/bluesky. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Rocky Mountain Power is one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the U.S., providing more than 950,000 customers in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho with safe and dependable electric service.

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