Expected to be operational
in 2003, the 500-megawatt Otay Mesa Generating Project will be the
first new power facility built in San Diego County in 30 years
SAN JOSE and SAN FRANCISCO,
Calif., July 10, 2001 - Calpine Corporation [NYSE: CPN] and PG&E
Corporation's [NYSE: PCG] PG&E National Energy Group announced today
that Calpine has completed the acquisition of the Otay Mesa Generating
Project in San Diego County.
The PG&E National Energy
Group developed the project, which was licensed by the California
Energy Commission in April. Construction of the 500-megawatt energy
center is expected to begin later this summer, with completion targeted
for mid-2003.
Under the terms of the sale,
Calpine will build, own and operate the facility and PG&E National
Energy Group will contract for up to 250 megawatts of output.
"This project will directly
address the electricity supply imbalance that currently exists in
San Diego County," said Ron Walter, Senior Vice President - Business
Development. "Otay Mesa is an important component needed to ensure
price stability and power reliability for San Diego and all of California."
"The PG&E National Energy
Group is committed to being part of the energy solution in California,"
said Thomas B. King, president and Chief Operating Officer of the
PG&E National Energy Group, West Region. "Generation from the Otay
Mesa plant will be an important part of our growing western resource
portfolio."
The Otay Mesa Generating
Project will be located within a 46-acre property on the eastern
portion of Otay Mesa, near the base of the San Ysidro Mountains,
approximately 1.5 miles from the United States-Mexico border.
Designed as a highly efficient,
combined-cycle generating station, the Otay Mesa facility will be
fueled by natural gas and will include state-of-the-art emission
control equipment and water conservation technology. In addition,
in a first-of-its-kind program, the Otay Mesa Generating Project
will utilize mobile emission reduction credits to offset emissions.
A large portion of the mobile credits will be created through the
conversion of refuse-hauling vehicles in San Diego to natural gas
fuel.
Power from the Otay Mesa
plant will be sold into the California wholesale market. As part
of the agreement to sell the project to Calpine, the PG&E National
Energy Group will enter into a 10-year tolling arrangement under
which it will contract for up to 250 megawatts. Calpine will market
the balance of the output through its energy services group.
In addition to the capacity
it will receive from the Otay Mesa Plant, the PG&E National Energy
Group is constructing a 1,000-megawatt LaPaloma plant near Bakersfield,
Calif., which is expected to be fully operational by mid-2002. Additionally,
the PG&E National Energy Group is in the process of acquiring 66
megawatts of wind generation near Palm Springs, and it is also developing
with Sempra International the proposed North Baja Pipeline, which
will provide a potential new source of natural gas for Southern
California and Northern Mexico. In total throughout the West, the
PG&E National Energy Group has more than 4,000 megawatts of new
generation in construction or advanced development.
Building upon its existing
2,425-megawatt natural gas and geothermal operating portfolio, Calpine
has launched the largest power generating initiative in the state
with 1,950 megawatts of energy centers under construction in and
around California, and has announced the development of an additional
3,850 megawatts of generation. By the end of 2005, Calpine plans
to build more than 12,000 megawatts of generation dedicated to restoring
the stability of California's energy markets. Calpine's total North
American portfolio will exceed 70,000 megawatts by the end of 2005.
The company recently announced the acquisition of a 1,200-megawatt
natural gas-fired plant in the United Kingdom.
Calpine Corporation, based
in San Jose, Calif., is dedicated to providing customers with reliable
and competitively priced electricity. Calpine is focused on clean,
efficient, natural gas-fired generation and is the world's largest
producer of renewable geothermal energy. Calpine has launched the
largest power development program in North America. To date, the
company has approximately 34,000 megawatts of base load capacity
and 7,200 megawatts of peaking capacity in operation, under construction,
pending acquisition and in announced development in 29 states, the
United Kingdom and Canada. The company was founded in 1984 and is
publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol
CPN.
Headquartered in Bethesda,
Md., PG&E National Energy Group develops, owns and operates electric
generating and gas pipeline facilities and provides energy trading,
marketing and risk-management services.
More information about each
company can be found at their respective websites at www.calpine.com
or www.pgecorp.com.