Calpine Corporation (Calpine) has been acknowledged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Partnership for its contributions to efficient domestic energy production and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. According to the 2008 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Report issued by the EPA, the high efficiency of Calpine’s 32 CHP projects produced an estimated 65.066 million metric tons of carbon equivalents less than typical separate heat and power sources.

The overall carbon emission reductions realized by Calpine’s clean and efficient power plants is equal to 4,993,842 acres of pine or fir forests storing carbon for one year or the emissions from 4,021,866 passenger vehicles.

According to the EPA, “CHP is one of the most promising options in the US energy efficiency portfolio.”

“This report by the EPA clearly demonstrates that Calpine’s CHP fleet reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps address climate change,” said Calpine President and chief executive officer Jack Fusco. “Calpine, which also owns the country’s largest geothermal generation facility, is committed to protecting and preserving our environment through the production of clean and efficient electric power.”

In its publication CHP: effective energy solutions for a Sustainable Future, the EPA notes that “CHP solutions represent a proven and effective near-term energy option to help the United States enhance energy efficiency, ensure environmental quality, promote economic growth, and foster a robust energy infrastructure. Using CHP today, the United States already avoids more than 1.9 Quadrillion British thermal units (Quads) of fuel consumption and 248 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually compared to traditional separate production of electricity and thermal energy. This CO2 reduction is the equivalent of removing more than 45 million cars from the road. In addition, CHP is one of the few options in the portfolio of energy alternatives that combine environmental effectiveness with economic viability and improved competitiveness.”