MARSTON, Mo. (WSIL)--- Two clean energy groups say Magnitude 7 Metals' plant reduction is directly related to its dependence on fossil fuels.
Renew Missouri says the smelter's closure will have national impacts because they produce the materials that go into transmission lines and infrastructure projects.
“The aluminum product that's being made there is going into infrastructure, it’s going into domestic defense. And so this is a national problem, as far as losing a domestic producer of aluminum,� Renew Missouri's Executive Director, James Owen says.
Owen claims the company’s failure to seek lower-cost energy solutions like wind or solar made the plant uncompetitive.
“We do believe that there could be federal legislation that would open up the energy market to this plant. So we do believe there's a number of solutions there,� Owen says. � We just need to make sure everyone who's working on this is working together and working towards a solution that's gonna provide some economic opportunity for whoever buys this plant.�
Representatives from the Sierra Club are also working with Renew Missouri.
They say the plant has had issues with electric costs in the past.
