© 2023
CALPINE IN CALIFORNIA
Founded over 40 years ago on the principles of sustainability, Calpine remains focused on our commitment to clean energy production. We have partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on several projects designed to advance transformative and innovative geothermal and carbon capture and storage (CCUS) systems that allow Calpine to produce safe, reliable, low-carbon power.
Calpine Innovation in California
Calpine has a strong presence in California with active geothermal, battery storage and carbon capture projects designed to provide reliable, clean energy while protecting and creating high-wage jobs in the construction, development and management of facilities in the state.
Calpine’s ambitious, diverse approach reflects our ongoing commitment to advancing the state’s climate goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. Calpine is leading the way to a reliable, safe, sustainable and clean energy future for all Californians.
Why California?
Calpine is supporting California’s leadership in climate by leading the way in CCUS deployment, excellence in geothermal operations and innovation, battery storage deployment and facilitating a reliable and cost-effective energy transition with the support of highly efficient, environmentally responsible natural gas resources.
California has enormous potential to be a part of the larger, multi-pronged approach using carbon capture and other proven technologies to address climate change. The state’s landscape is well suited geologically for permanent carbon dioxide (CO2) storage and has capacity to store more than 60 million metric tons of carbon per year for more than 1,000 years.
Community Announcements
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) hosted Calpine for a public engagement workshop on a proposed partnership with Calpine for a CCS project at Calpine’s Sutter Energy Center.
On May 4th, Calpine hosted an open house CCS workshop for Sutter county residents. Calpine has been a Sutter County and Yuba City community partner for 20 years.
Hear from the community members of Sutter County voice their support of Calpine’s CCS project at the SMUD Board Committee Meeting held on May 17th.
“The transition into a cleaner environment will take industry leaders like Calpine and Labor working together.”
– Mark Mulliner, California State Building Trades
Sutter
Developed in 2001, making it the first merchant combined-cycle plant to come online to address California’s energy crisis, the Sutter Energy Center is a safe and reliable source of energy located near Yuba City.
The Sutter Decarbonization Project is pioneering efforts to meet CO2 reduction goals while maintaining regional access to cost-efficient and reliable power. Upon completion, the project is expected to receive 95% CO2 capture efficiency.
Los Medanos
Installing carbon capture technology in California is essential to eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 without compromising reliability. Calpine is utilizing federal incentives at the Los Medanos Energy Center (LMEC) to test the newest CCUS technology needed to achieve California’s emissions goals.
LMEC, developed in 2001, is a highly efficient, natural gas-fired, combined-cycle cogeneration facility with advanced air emissions control technologies located in Pittsburg, California.
On July 14, 2023, Calpine unveiled Project Enterprise at LMEC, a first-of-its-kind carbon capture demonstration pilot that is testing advanced technology optimized to support a cleaner electricity grid.
The Geysers
Geothermal energy is a clean, predictable, renewable energy source derived from the heat of the earth’s core. The Geysers in California are one example of us helping the state reach its clean energy goals by providing clean and affordable energy. The Geysers provides about 50% of California’s geothermal power.
Located in the Mayacamas Mountains, north of San Francisco, Calpine is harnessing naturally occurring stream field reservoirs below the earth’s surface to make reliable, clean, renewable energy for homes and businesses across Northern California.
It is the largest complex of geothermal power plants in the world with capacity to produce 725 megawatts of electricity around the clock – enough to power 725,000 homes, or a city the size of San Francisco.
Learn more about Calpine
Calpine Corporation is America’s largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal resources with robust commercial, industrial and residential retail operations in key competitive power markets.
Founded in 1984, we use advanced technologies to generate power in an efficient, cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner.
We operate California’s largest geothermal resource using conventional steam turbines to produce renewable geothermal power. In 2021, we prioritized modernizing California’s aging fleet to bring clean, reliable power to the state.