GCC cement plant partners with Black Hills Energy, moving to wind energy

GCC’s Rapid City Plant partnered with Black Hills Energy to move to wind energy in the next year. The program will provide about 50% of the cement plant’s electricity needs for the next 15 years. GCC is a producer of cement, concrete, aggregates and construction-related services in North America.

“By choosing low-cost renewable energy resources to power our business, we’re able to advance our business goals and sustainability objectives while also supporting the expansion of affordable, renewable energy development in the region,” said Ron Henley, U.S. Division president. “Clean energy is good for the planet and good for our company.”

Black Hills Energy will build a wind-power generating facility in 2020 to supply the energy. Located near Cheyenne, Wyoming, the Corriedale Wind Energy Project is anticipated to produce energy by the first quarter of 2021 that will be shared with subscribers in South Dakota and Wyoming. The program was designed for large commercial and industrial customers and governmental agencies in the company’s electric service territories in South Dakota and Wyoming.

Converting to wind energy will reduce GCC-Rapid City’s CO2 emissions about 50,000 metric tons annually. That’s the equivalent of taking 11,000 cars off the road each year. (The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average passenger vehicle emits approximately 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, this number can vary based on a vehicle’s fuel, fuel economy, and the number of miles driven per year.)