California fire damages part of geothermal power generator

• 8 years ago (2015-09-15)
• David Flin

Renewables 757

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Forest fires have damaged five cooling towers at the Geysers geothermal power generation facility in northern California. Brett Kerr, a spokesman for the plant operator Calpine, said that the facility continues to generate electricity at two-thirds of its full capacity.

The 725 MW Geysers plant, consisting of 14 units, is the world’s largest geothermal power production operation, and provides over 10 per cent of Calpine’s electricity generation in California.

Kerr said that in addition to the five cooling towers, the plant has sustained damage to some power lines and communications, but the powerhouses have not been damaged by the fires. He said: “We’ve got a report this morning the wind is shifting away from the Geysers. Then we got a report the wind had shifted back. It’s such a dynamic situation.”

Steven Greenlee, spokesman for the California Independent System Operator, said that the troubles at the Geysers have not threatened reliability of electric service in the state. Fires in northern California have damaged over a dozen power lines, but Greenlee said that the grid remains reliable. He said: “It does cause congestion on the system, but that’s manageable.”