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Colowyo Mine, Trapper Mine and Craig Station make a significant contribution to the <br />economy of northwest Colorado. An economic impact study of the plant and mines <br />identified a $428 million annual direct and indirect economic output value of Craig <br />Station that supports 752 direct and indirect jobs with a payroll of $54.8 million. Based <br />on standard multipliers for the industry, the study shows the coal purchased annually for <br />Craig Station supports 446 jobs with a payroll of $38.9 million. <br />With the closing of the purchase, Colowyo Mine's employees are transitioning to <br />Western Fuels - Colorado. "It has been a smooth transition of all of Colowyo employees <br />into the Western Fuels family," said Duane Richards, chief executive officer of Western <br />Fuels Association, an affiliate of Western Fuels- Colorado. "Our priority is to continue the <br />safe operation and environmental stewardship of the Colowyo Mine." <br />Terms of the transaction will not be disclosed. <br />Contacts: <br />Lee Boughey, Western Fuels- Colorado and Tri -State <br />720 - 670 -6696 <br />lboughey@tristategt.org <br />Tony Shaffer, Rio Tinto <br />+44 20 7781 1138 <br />tony.shaffer @riotinto.com <br />About Western Fuels- Colorado, LLC <br />Western Fuels- Colorado supplies coal under contract to Craig Station and Nucla Station. <br />Western Fuels- Colorado operates the New Horizon Mine, which produces coal for Tri- State's <br />Nucla Station in southwest Colorado. Tri -State is the majority owner of Western Fuels- Colorado, <br />which is an affiliate of Western Fuels Association, a not - for - profit cooperative that supplies coal <br />and transportation services to consumer -owned cooperative and municipal electric utilities <br />throughout the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions. <br />About Tri -State Generation and Transmission Association <br />Based in Denver, Tri -State supplies wholesale power throughout a 200,000- square -mile service <br />territory to 18 electric cooperatives in Colorado, 12 in New Mexico, eight in Wyoming and six in <br />western Nebraska. The 44 co -ops, in turn, provide electricity to more than 600,000 meters — <br />which translates to a population of approximately 1.5 million end -use consumers. More <br />information is available at www.tristate.coop. <br />About Rio Tinto <br />Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto <br />plc, a London and New York Stock Exchange listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is <br />listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. <br />Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining and processing mineral resources. Major products are <br />aluminium, copper, diamonds, thermal and metallurgical coal, uranium, gold, industrial minerals <br />(borax, titanium dioxide and salt) and iron ore. Activities span the world and are strongly <br />represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in Asia, Europe, Africa <br />and South America. <br />