Calpine Corporation Partners with Local California Food Banks and Organizations Donates over $500,000

April 22, 2020

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – April 22, 2020 – Calpine Corporation, longtime California energy generator and provider of energy services, announced it is donating over $500,000 to local food banks and nonprofit organizations across the state in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  These organizations provide critical services in the communities where Calpine employees and customers live and work.  The donations are being directed by Calpine’s regional office in the SF Bay Area, its subsidiary Calpine Solutions in San Diego, and its individual power facilities throughout the state including The Geysers in Sonoma and Lake Counties.

The organizations include:         

“During this unexpected period of ongoing school and business closures and economic disruptions due to the COVID-19 crisis, Feeding San Diego is incredibly grateful to Calpine for their generous gift,” said Vince Hall, CEO of Feeding San Diego.  “Their donation will play a significant role in helping us provide much-needed meals to families and individuals who are in need of food assistance during this time.”

“These are challenging times and we greatly appreciate the support and partnership of Calpine. Because of supporters like Calpine we have been able to step up that effort to meet the growing needs of so many in our community.” – Joel Sjostrom, President and CEO, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

“Our mission is simple – to end hunger in our community – but how we accomplish it is not. The money donated by Calpine will help us tremendously. It will purchase food, pay our dedicated staff, fuel our

trucks, keep our refrigerators running and provide us with the safety net we need to meet the increasing demand for food in Sonoma and Lake County.” – David Goodman, CEO, Redwood Empire Food Bank

“As we continue to meet the unprecedented community need for emergency food assistance, we have quadrupled our services. Thanks to the generosity of the Calpine Corporation, we will be able to continue providing nutritious staples and fresh produce to Monterey County children, seniors, workers, families, and other struggling residents.” – Melissa Kendrick, Executive Director, Food Bank for Monterey County

“Our community food banks provide a critical lifeline to many Californians, especially those who are the most vulnerable,” said Alex Makler, Senior Vice President of the West Region at Calpine. “Unfortunately, these food banks are seeing record demand due to the innumerable, devastating impacts related to COVID-19.  Calpine and our employees are proud to expand our support for local food banks to help those that are food-insecure.” 

“For over 10 years, we have been an integral partner with California’s CCA providers and the diverse communities they represent,” said Drake Welch, Senior Vice President of Operations and IT at Calpine. “Helping these communities has been our mission and core to who we are as an organization and we are honored to be able to support these organizations that are doing so much for our communities in the face of this unprecedented situation.  

About Calpine in California

Founded in California in 1984, Calpine Corporation has become America’s largest provider of electricity capable of generating over 26,000 megawatts (MW) from its 78 power plants in operation or under construction.  Its wholesale power operations and retail businesses serve customers in 24 states, Canada and Mexico. 

Calpine’s Western Regional Office is located in Walnut Creek, California.  Calpine owns and operates 33 geothermal and natural gas facilities located throughout California that provide 6,425 MWs of clean, reliable energy to power California homes, businesses and critical infrastructure.  Calpine Energy Solutions, located in San Diego is the largest provider of back office operational services supporting almost all of California’s Community Choice Aggregator programs representing over 140 local governments, and one of the largest suppliers of energy to commercial and industrial businesses who purchase from third-party suppliers in California and throughout the country.

Calpine has been deemed an essential business and during this crisis its 800+ CA employees, 230 of which are located just in San Diego, continue their work to support electric reliability.