Renewable Energy

Enhancing A Renewable Resource
The Geysers accounts for one-fourth of the [non-hydro] green power produced 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. In 2006, Calpine amended its contract with the city of Santa Rosa, enabling Calpine to increase production by up to 11 megawatts.

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 recycled water and help promote renewable power production. Calpine's programs for utilizing recycled water have won numerous environmental awards.

A New Era of Exploration
The Geysers represents about 25 percent of California's green energy production. Unlike other renewable energy resources like wind and solar, geothermal power plants generate electricity continuously around the clock. As a result, Calpine's geothermal units run with near-perfect availability (97 percent availability), and because they interconnect with five separate transmission lines, they can deliver renewable electricity throughout California.

To ensure Californians continue to benefit from this valuable geothermal resource, Calpine is launching a five-year, multi-million dollar initiative designed to increase production at The Geysers by as much as 80 megawatts of much-needed renewable energy. Our world-renowned geothermal reservoir and well drilling experts will be tapping production and exploratory wells — some more than 11, 000 feet deep — to expand steam production and to identify new sources of geothermal power.

Calpine also is rejuvenating our Geysers operations by repowering, or rebuilding, eight of our older geothermal turbines. By replacing the older parts with new energy-efficient equipment to harness steam and generate electricity, Calpine can be an even better steward of this valuable renewable energy resource. Our program includes repowering units with a total current output of 250 megawatts, or approximately one-third of The Geysers capacity.