Feb 16 2008
Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced today that it is seeking approval for a 175 Megawatt (MW) geothermal power purchasing agreement with Calpine Corporation. The agreement consolidates six existing qualifying facility agreements totaling 118 MW and adds 57 MW of new renewable energy to PG&E's supply. With this agreement, 20 percent of PG&E's contracts for future energy delivery now meet California's renewable energy standard.
"This agreement marks a major milestone toward meeting California's renewable standard," said Fong Wan, vice president of energy procurement at PG&E. "PG&E already provides our customers with some of the cleanest energy in the nation and we will continue to aggressively add more renewables to our portfolio."
Starting in September 2008, the agreement will deliver renewable energy from The Geysers Geothermal Field in northern California -- enough new energy to power 45,000 homes in northern and central California.
The Geysers Geothermal Field, located 75 miles north of San Francisco, California, is the largest producer of geothermal electricity in the world. Commercial geothermal power has been generated continuously at The Geysers Field since 1960. Geothermal energy accounts for three percent of PG&E's current overall energy mix.
On average, more than 50 percent of the energy PG&E delivers comes from carbon-free sources. The agreement filed today with the California Public Utilities Commission extends PG&E's broader renewable energy portfolio. Qualifying renewable sources in PG&E's portfolio include solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and small hydroelectric.