The Freestone Energy Center is a natural gas-fired combined-cycle facility located on approximately 506 acres near Fairfield, Texas. The facility was Calpine’s first to be built in the northern part of the Texas Regional Entity market area. The Freestone Energy Center consists of four combustion turbines, four heat recovery steam generators and two steam turbine generators, configured in two largely independent power blocks. 

In February 2023, Calpine commenced development efforts for a new ~425 MW peaking facility adjacent to Freestone Energy Center in Freestone County, Texas. These development efforts are warranted in light of the Public Utility Commission’s recent adoption of a framework for implementing a Performance Credit Mechanism (PCM) designed to incentivize new generation.

Freestone Expansion Project

Texas Governor Greg Abbott visited Calpine’s headquarters in December 2023 to celebrate the construction of the facility, saying: 

“The bottom line is Texans need more electrical power. We have a collective responsibility to make sure that we provide the power and electricity to support our growing state by adding new, reliable power plants like this one from Calpine. ERCOT, PUC and power generators are better prepared this winter than ever before because I signed over a dozen laws to ensure they have the tools and strategies needed to generate more power and make our grid more reliable and resilient. This Freestone Energy Center expansion will ensure that reliable power is available in Texas no matter the weather, and I thank Calpine for choosing to expand their Freestone County facility.”
-Texas Governor Greg Abbott

Chairman of the Texas House State Affairs committee Todd Hunter also celebrated the project: “I am happy to see Calpine respond to the signals that the legislature sent regarding the need for affordable and reliable energy. I am encouraged by their efforts and look forward to more announcements from other market participants.”