GILLETTE, Wyo. — A regional utility company says progress has been made to achieve its goal of drastically reducing its utility greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
In a July 27 press release announcing the release of Black Hills Energy’s 2022 Sustainability Report, the company said progress continued to be made toward reducing electric utility greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and 70% by 2040.
Already, Black Hills Energy has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions from electric utilities by one-third since 2005, per the release, which says the company increased its emissions target for gas utilities to Net Zero by 2035 in 2022.
The company plans to achieve its emission goals through ongoing infrastructure investment, damage prevention and integration of low-carbon fuels, according to the release.
“We have set challenging yet realistic goals for delivering cleaner energy and have a clearer path to reduce our emissions while minimizing impacts to our customers,” Wes Ashton — Black Hills Energy vice president of Wyoming operations — said in the release.
According to the report, Black Hills Energy is transitioning to a cleaner energy future by adding low- or zero-carbon generation sources and fossil fuel retirements or conversions. Current resource plans for the region will add over 520 megawatts of renewable energy and battery storage by 2030.
In the next decade, the company expects to be positioned to achieve its greenhouse gas reduction goals without relying on future technologies through converting standing coal plants into dual fuel units to include natural gas, retiring remaining coal and diesel power plants and adding renewable energy resources and storage, according to the sustainability report.
Since 2005, Black Hills Energy’s electric utility greenhouse gas emissions have been driven downward through efforts to build a modernized generation fleet comprised of additional renewable energy and natural gas turbines, the report says.
Four aged coal plants — all high-intensity carbon energy sources — were retired and replaced with more efficient and cleaner power plants that use exhaust gases from natural gas turbines to convert water into steam and drive steam turbines, thereby generating clean electricity, per the report.
Black Hills Energy has no plans to expand its coal mining operations beyond its sole operation used to supply the Wyodak Plant and Neil Simpson Complex with low-cost, reliable fuel, the report states, adding that the company anticipates its coal mine operations and production will follow existing coal plant demands.
“We will build on our emission reduction progress as we continue to transition to a cleaner energy future,” the report says.
