About Calpine

Calpine Corporation is America’s largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal resources with operations in competitive power markets.  Our fleet of 78 power plants in operation represents or under construction nearly 26,000 megawatts of generation capacity. Through wholesale power operations and our retail businesses Calpine Energy Solutions and Champion Energy, we serve customers in 23 states, Canada and Mexico.  Our clean, efficient, modern and flexible fleet uses advanced technologies to generate power in a low-carbon and environmentally responsible manner. We are uniquely positioned to benefit from the secular trends affecting our industry, including the abundant and affordable supply of clean natural gas, environmental regulation, aging power generation infrastructure and the increasing need for dispatchable power plants to successfully integrate intermittent renewables into the grid.  Please visit www.calpine.com to learn more about how Calpine is creating power for a sustainable future. 

Keeping Energy Clean

Calpine is a committed environmental steward and the company works hard to uphold high environmental standards. For instance, geothermal energy is a renewable source that offers continuous power that is available around the clock. These renewable facilities potentially reduce reliance upon fossil fuels for power generation. Low emissions and environmentally friendly energy sources, such as The Geysers, have earned Calpine the support of numerous organizations such as the American Lung Association and The Sierra Club.

Making A Difference

The 2,600 megawatts of geothermal energy currently used in the United States, when compared to the use of coal, eliminates production of 22 million tons of carbon dioxide, 200,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, 80,000 tons of nitrogen oxide, and 110,000 tons of particulate matter. The geothermal energy produced by Calpine alone is the equivalent of 60 million barrels of oil per year or 2.4 billion barrels over its production life. That's approximately one-eighth the anticipated production volume of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Enhancing A Renewable Resource

The Geysers accounts for about 10% of the renewable electric generation in California. Recognizing the importance of The Geysers as a renewable resource, Calpine is developing programs that expand and enhance this unique area. The company helped develop the Lake County-Southeast Geysers Effluent Pipeline project, which was the first wastewater-to-electricity project in the world. This 29-mile underground pipeline delivers eight million gallons of reclaimed water to The Geysers every day. Since it began operating in September 1997, more than twenty billion gallons of treated wastewater from Lake County have been recycled into the steam reservoir, increasing the long-term productivity of the resource. This project benefits Calpine plants and those operated by the Northern California Power Agency, a consortium of 14 California cities.

In addition, the company helped launch the Santa Rosa Geysers Recharge Project that transports 11 million gallons of reclaimed water per day from Santa Rosa to The Geysers through a 41-mile underground pipeline.

These unique programs enable electricity generation to remain at its current level for the foreseeable future. These projects also provide an environmentally sound discharge solution for reclaimed water and help promote renewable power production. Calpine's programs for utilizing wastewater have won numerous environmental awards.