By Mandy Feder
I felt totally energized after a visit to the Calpine Geothermal Center in Middletown. Danielle Matthews-Seperas greeted me. She”s in charge of government and community affairs.
Though we”ve done a number of articles about Calpine, there”s something about seeing the operation in action. After all, it is North America”s largest geothermal operation. It”s also the largest geothermal field in the world. Calpine is capable of supplying energy to approximately 750,000 homes. All of the power goes into PG&E”s transmission system and customers including Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, SMUD and, of course PG&E, are served by the steam.
I spent about an hour at the center with General Manager, Geysers Generation, Dave Jackson. He explained the history of each of the plants, pointing to the miniature replicas on the large model at the center. I pushed buttons and examined turbines in the interactive area that ultimately prepared me to experience what I was in store for up the hill, at the Sonoma Plant.
In high school, I worked as a waitress. It was during that time I was taught to “never waste a trip.” In other words, maximize each action you take. The same concept applies to the gathering and capturing of geothermal energy. Geothermal power plants utilize heat from the earth”s interior to produce electricity. The plants do not burn fossil fuel, creating a real environmental advantage.
What happens when the water runs dry? There are 19 plants in the hills above the center. In the ”80s, the water began to run dry.
“It”s like a cup of coffee,” Jackson said. “It”s going to last awhile if you sip on it, but if you stick 10 straws in there, it will go away pretty quickly.”
The Lake County effluent project provided a solution to the problem by piping treated wastewater into the geysers at injection sites. The water that”s piped in from Santa Rosa is drinking water quality. The water from Lake County is secondary treated water, which would require one more treatment to be drinking water quality.
This process helps close the renewable loop by nearly replacing all of the water that”s removed in the reservoir in the form of steam.
Jackson is coming up on 30 years at Calpine, but he”s still exuberant about the place and I fully understand why. He enthusiastically gave me a tour of the Sonoma Plant. It was amazing to witness the process with an expert who was able to answer each question with ease. He said most people who work at the geysers take a great deal of pride in the operation. “The people who work here, live here. We raise our families here,” Jackson said.
Aside from the obvious environmental benefits, Calpine boasts the highest payroll in the county. Approximately 350 people work there. It provides the most revenue in Lake and Sonoma counties in taxes.
Sounds Utopian, right? Some folks are shaken up by the seismic activity, small earthquakes. Jackson said the area is not totally stable geologically and the plants do cause micro-seismic activity. Calpine works diligently with the community to address any issues that arise as a result.
“We work very hard to maintain an open relationship with integrity with the community,” Jackson said. Calpine developed two community investment committees, one for Anderson Springs and one for the Cobb Mountain area, donating $70,000 per year to each committee. Calpine is generous and proactive in the county.
There were so many stunning discoveries to make on my tour of Calpine, right here in our own backyard in Lake County. I”m putting it at the top of my “cool things about Lake County” list. And Jackson said I should come back soon to check out some more amazing stuff. I definitely will.
Calpine is celebrating its 50th year.
Mandy Feder is the Record-Bee managing editor. She can be reached at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or 263-5636 Ext. 32.
