Calpine Corporation
TypePrivate
IndustryEnergy
Founded1984 (1984)
FounderPeter Cartwright
Headquarters
Calpine Center
Houston, Texas
,
U.S.
Key people
  • Thad Hill (CEO)
  • Thad Miller (CFO)
RevenueIncrease US$10.072 billion (2019)[1]
Increase US$770 million (2019)[1]
Total assetsUS$16.062 billion (2018)[1]
Number of employees
2,256 (2019)[1]
Websitewww.calpine.com
Footnotes / references
[2]

Calpine Corporation is the largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal resources in the United States,[3] with operations in competitive power markets.

A Fortune 500 company based in Houston, Texas,[1] the company is owned by an affiliate of Energy Capital Partners and a consortium of other investors, including Access Industries Inc. and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

Operations

Through wholesale power operations and its retail businesses, Calpine serves customers in 24 states, Canada, and Mexico.[4][5]

Its fleet of 76 power plants in operation or under construction represents nearly 26,035 megawatts of generation capacity.[5][6] In 2019, it reported generating 100.8 megawatt hours of electricity, 5% more than in 2018.[6] The name "Calpine" is derived from the company's original California location and alpine, a reference to the Zürich home base of Electrowatt. Calpine is the largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal resources in the United States.[7]

Its grouping of 19 power plants located in a geothermal field outside Sonoma, CA often referred to as "The Geysers" is the largest producer of renewable geothermal power in North America, producing 725 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 725,000 homes or a city the size of San Francisco.[8][9] Despite the name of the steam field no natural geysers exist near The Geysers - Clear Lake area.[10]

History

1973-1999

In 1988, the first QF cogeneration plant was commissioned and power production began. In 1992, the company's assets reached US$21 billion. In 1994, the company reached capacity output of 141 MegaWatts. In 1996, the company's initial public offering (IPO) was the largest for an independent energy company.[11]

The Sonoma Calpine 3 geothermal power plant at The Geysers field in the Mayacamas Mountains of Sonoma County, California.

In 1998, Calpine purchased 45 gas turbine power plants. The following year it purchased 18 gas turbine power plants and acquired PG&E's plants at The Geysers, making Calpine the world's largest geothermal provider.

2000-2010

In 2001, the California electric energy crisis occurred. In 2004, the investment bank Lehman Brothers begins shorting Calpine, with researcher Christine Daley lacking confidence in Calpine. This information spreads to clients of Lehman. By the time Calpine goes bankrupt in 2005, Lehman will profit roughly $100,000,000 from the short.[12] In November 2005, CEO Peter Cartwright and CFO Bob Kelly step down and left the company.[13] On December 20, Calpine filed bankruptcy with US$22 billion in debt. Calpine's expansion plan was unsupportable in the economic environment formed by the 2000-2001 California energy crisis and the collapse of Enron. Stock price dropped to less than US$0.30 per share, and was delisted from NYSE.

On January 31, 2008, Calpine returned from bankruptcy. The company's previous stock was exchanged for warrants and new Calpine stock began trading on the NYSE under the ticker symbol "CPN."[14]Later that year, a new executive leadership team, headed by president and CEO Jack Fusco, joined the company.[15]

In 2009, the company moved its corporate headquarters from San Jose, California to Houston, Texas. In 2010, Calpine acquired Conectiv Energy (generation) from Pepco Holdings. In 2010, Calpine dedicated the Geothermal Visitor Center and celebrated 50 years of geothermal power production at The Geysers in Northern California. In 2010, Thad Hill was named chief operating officer.

2011-2020

In 2012, Calpine's power plant fleet generates a record 116 million MWh of electricity. In 2013, Calpine rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on January 18. In 2014, Jack Fusco became Calpine's executive chairman of the board and Thad Hill became the company's chief executive officer. In 2014, Calpine sold six power plants in its Southeast region. In 2015, Calpine acquired the electric provider Champion Energy, expanding channels in its core Texas and Northeastern U.S. markets. In 2016, Calpine acquired Granite Ridge Energy Center in Londonderry, New Hampshire, Frank Cassidy became chairman of the board, and it acquired Noble Group Ltd's North American energy business. In 2018, Calpine was acquired by an affiliate of Energy Capital Partners and a consortium of other investors, including Access Industries Inc. and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, on March 8 a new board was named. Shares of Calpine's common stock stopped trading prior to the March 9, 2018, opening of the New York Stock Exchange.

2021-present

In February 2023, Calpine released plans to begin development for a 425 MW natural gas-fired plant next to the Freestone Energy Center in Freestone County, Texas.[16] In July 2023, Calpine announced a $25 million carbon capture technology project. The technology could capture 95% of a plant’s carbon emissions, which would reduce greenhouse emissions.[17] The technology was created by ION Clean Energy of Colorado.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Calpine". Fortune. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  2. ↑ "Calpine Corp. 2019 Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. February 25, 2020.
  3. ↑ Don Weinland in Hong Kong and David Sheppard and Neil Hume in London (2016-10-10). "Noble Group sells US energy business in turnround drive". Archived from the original on 2022-12-11. Retrieved 2017-01-04. Calpine Corporation is the largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal in the US.
  4. ↑ Sixel, L. M. (2019-06-13). "Calpine reverses losses after going private". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  5. 1 2 Urie, Daniel (2019-06-25). "Calpine Corporation dedicates new power plant". pennlive. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  6. 1 2 Sixel, L. M. (2020-07-24). "No 1. private company: A great year for Calpine". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  7. ↑ Hastings, Rachel (September 28, 2021). "How CEO Thad Hill T'95 Brings Tuck's Culture to Calpine". www.tuck.dartmouth.edu. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  8. ↑ "The Geysers Geothermal Field, California". Power Technology. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  9. ↑ "Pasadena Water and Power to Ask Council Committee to OK 10-Year Geothermal Deal Worth $188 Million – Pasadena Now". www.pasadenanow.com. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  10. ↑ "The Geysers Geothermal Field | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  11. ↑ Willrich, Mason (2017-11-10). Modernizing America's Electricity Infrastructure. MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-34241-4.
  12. ↑ A Colossal Failure of Common Sense, Lawrence G McDonald, Patrick Robinson, Crown (Random House), 2009, p99-p105, 154
  13. ↑ Journal, Rebecca SmithStaff Reporter of The Wall Street (2005-11-30). "Calpine Leaders Quit, Fueling Talk Of a Bankruptcy". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  14. ↑ Archives, L. A. Times (2008-02-02). "Calpine exits bankruptcy; trading to restart". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  15. ↑ Directors, Clarion Energy Content (2008-09-01). "Calpine's New CEO Jack Fusco: Ready for the Future". POWERGRID International. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  16. ↑ Clark, Kevin (2023-02-16). "Calpine to add peaking capacity near existing combined-cycle plant". Power Engineering. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  17. ↑ "California Shows Off New $25 Million Carbon Capture Technology Project". Bloomberg.com. 2023-07-14. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  18. ↑ "First-of-its kind East Bay pilot project to capture harmful emissions could be game-changer for gas-powered plants". The Mercury News. 2023-07-15. Retrieved 2023-11-13.

See also

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