Copperton Solar Plant No. 1 — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 64427
- Capacity
- 30 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Solar
- Technology
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Salt Lake, UT
- Operating Since
- 2024
- Generators
- 2
- Operator
- Kennecott Utah Copper
- Parent Company
- Rio Tinto
- Annual Generation
- 648 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 0.2%
- Balancing Authority
- PacifiCorp - East
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- WECC
Copperton Solar Plant No. 1
OperatingSolarGEM: construction
Ranked #33 of 58 Solar plants in UT#1491 of 7447 nationally
30 MW Solar operating in Salt Lake, UT — PacifiCorp - East
EIAGEM
30 MW
Nameplate Capacity
2
Generators
units
Solar Photovoltaic
Technology
2024
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
40.5766, -112.0846
County
Salt Lake, UT
Nearby Plants
- Trans-Jordan Generating StationLandfill Gas4.8 MW · 3.5 km
- West Valley Generation ProjectNatural Gas217 MW · 11.0 km
- Murray TurbineNatural Gas42 MW · 18.8 km
Ownership & Operator
Owner data does not fully agree across sources.
EIA typically reports the operating utility, while GEM resolves to the financial owner or parent corporation. Both can be correct.
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Kennecott Utah Copper | Kennecott Utah Copper | — |
| Owner(s) | Kennecott Utah Copper | Rio Tinto | — |
| Status | Operating | construction | — |
Ownership Chain
About
Copperton Solar Plant No. 1, located in Salt Lake County, Utah, is a 30 MW solar photovoltaic facility that began operating in 2024. The plant is owned by Rio Tinto, an Australian company, and operated by Kennecott Utah Copper. It utilizes single-axis tracking technology to maximize solar energy capture. The plant consists of two generators and is interconnected to the PacifiCorp - East balancing authority within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region.
In its latest year of operation, Copperton Solar Plant No. 1 generated 648 MWh of electricity, resulting in a capacity factor of 0.2%. The plant is ranked as the 32nd largest solar facility in Utah out of 58, and nationally it is ranked 1299 out of 7108.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
PacifiCorp - East
Grid Voltage
138 kV
Regulatory Status
NR
Entity Type
Industrial
Sector
Industrial Non-CHP
Generation
324 MWh
Latest Month
648 MWh
Annual Generation
0.2%
Capacity Factor
Financial Data
No financial data available for this plant.
Pricing & Market Data
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
News & Articles (3)Beta
Industry·partnership
Bechtel Selected by Rio Tinto to Deliver Renewable Energy Project at Kennecott Mine
Copperton Phase 2 Solar will provide clean energy for one of the world's largest open-pit copper mines Bechtel is proud to announce its selection by Rio.
Bechtel (other)Rio Tinto (other)
Bechtel·1 years ago
Hazards·other
Here’s how toxic chemicals from facilities can harm Utahns — and how the biggest source is working to improve
Based on a federal report, facilities in Utah released 181.8 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the environment in 2022 as part of...
The Salt Lake Tribune·1 years ago
Hazards·other
Utah has the fourth most toxic chemical releases of any state. The majority come from one source.
Just down the hill from homes and a park in Copperton Metro Township sits a leaching reservoir and two large, lined pools stained by copper...
The Salt Lake Tribune·1 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all articles