Gilroy Courting Calpine Corp. for Power Plant Projects

GILROY, CA-Gilroy Mayor Tom Springer has tossed out the red carpet for Calpine Corporation’s plan to build a power plant on an 80-acre site near Highway 152. “The site can support a 1,000 or 2,000 megawatt plant. We will not put limits on size. It depends on what Calpine needs.” Calpine is currently operating a small, 130-megawatt plant in Gilroy, which is similar to plants it runs in North San Jose and King City.

Springer favors the site for five main reasons: it is near a large supply of treated wastewater needed for cooling, transmission lines and a natural gas pipeline and far enough away from urban areas. The site, owned by Gilroy Foods, is large enough to accommodate a plant.

Although Calpine spokesperson Katherine Potter says that the company is willing to consider proposals from Gilroy or any community in the state, she made it clear that the concept originated with Mayor Springer.