But they can do that right next to hydro-electric plants with much more reliability.. If I am not wrong, Alcoa did shutdown their plant in central Washington (crypto-valley), so aluminum smelting is probably not that rage anyway.
edit:
Crypto-mining may be one alternative, you are converting energy into currency is the most straight forward fashion. Could be the way, who knows.
The point, If they are closing Aluminium smelting plants when they are being sold 2cents/kwh from a reliable hydro-electric plant. Wind and Solar's chances are slim to none.
I am not questioning the utility of Aluminium here.
You can smelt it in remote places. Iceland has a lot of Aluminium smelting because energy is so cheap. Doesn't mean that you need to produce the aluminium products there.
Aluminum smelting is still popular in Germany where they are being paid to offset the variability of wind/solar there by ramping production up and down.
I have a suspicion that this is being used by Germany to feed them a disguised subsidy.
edit: Crypto-mining may be one alternative, you are converting energy into currency is the most straight forward fashion. Could be the way, who knows.