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Calpinea?s Westbrook Energy Center Earns VPP Star Recognition

^{Published on 2010-07-19 11:35:21 - Market Wire}
 

WESTBROOK, Maine--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Calpine Corporationa™s (NYSE:CPN) Westbrook Energy Center has earned Star Worksite designation under the stringent federal Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). This distinction is the U.S. Department of Labora™s Occupational Safety and Health Administrationa™s (OSHAa™s) highest level of recognition for exemplary workplace health and safety efforts.

"Excellence in safety is directly indicative of excellence in plant operations. We commend our staff and management at Westbrook for demonstrating this commitment and for joining the ranks of Calpine plants that have earned this honor from OSHA."

aAt Calpine, we put safety first in everything we do a" for our employees, visitors, communities and the environment,a said Calpinea™s Chief Executive Officer Jack Fusco. aExcellence in safety is directly indicative of excellence in plant operations. We commend our staff and management at Westbrook for demonstrating this commitment and for joining the ranks of Calpine plants that have earned this honor from OSHA.a

Through VPP, management and employees work together with OSHA to establish cooperative worksite relationships and develop comprehensive safety and health management systems. The VPP process sets performance-based criteria and includes rigorous onsite evaluations. Star status is reserved for worksites with exemplary, self-sufficient systems in place.

aBy earning VPP status, the staff at Calpinea™s Westbrook Energy Center has demonstrated a commitment to effective employee protection that exceeds OSHA standards,a said OSHA New England Regional Administrator Marthe Kent.

Westbrook Energy Center also exemplifies Calpinea™s dedication to the health of the natural environment. Using combined-cycle technology, the facility generates 537 megawatts of electricity with one of the lowest permitted emissions values in the state. The plant, which has been in operation since May 2001, generates power first via two electricity-producing natural gas turbines. Then it uses heat from that process to create steam that drives another turbine. This highly fuel-efficient approach dramatically reduces emissions compared to older fossil-fuel facilities.

Of approximately 7 million workplaces overseen by OSHA nationwide, only about 2,000 have received VPP recognition. Westbrook joins three other Calpine power plants in gaining this distinction: the Magic Valley Generating Station and Hidalgo Energy Center in Edinburg, Texas, and the Morgan Energy Center in Decatur, Ala. OSHAa™s statistics show that employees at VPP Star-designated sites experience at least 50 percent fewer lost workdays due to work-related injuries or illnesses than the national averages for their respective industries.

About Calpine

Founded in 1984, Calpine Corporation is a major U.S. power company, currently capable of delivering nearly 29,000 megawatts of clean, cost-effective, reliable and fuel-efficient power from its 93 operating plants to customers and communities in 21 U.S. states and Canada. Calpine Corporation is committed to helping meet the needs of an economy that demands more and cleaner sources of electricity. Calpine owns, leases and operates low-carbon, natural gas-fired and renewable geothermal power plants. Using advanced technologies, Calpine generates power in a reliable and environmentally responsible manner for the customers and communities it serves. Please visit our website at [ www.calpine.com ] for more information.

Forward-Looking Information

In addition to historical information, this release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Words such as abelieve,a aintend,a aexpect,a aanticipate,a aplan,a amay,a awilla and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Such statements include, among others, those concerning expected financial performance and strategic and operational plans, as well as assumptions, expectations, predictions, intentions or beliefs about future events. You are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that a number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Please see the risks identified in this release or in Calpinea™s reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, the risk factors identified in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2009, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. These filings are available by visiting the Securities and Exchange Commissiona™s website at [ www.sec.gov ] or Calpinea™s website at [ www.calpine.com ]. Actual results or developments may differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, and Calpine undertakes no obligation to update any such statements.