The California Public Utilities Commission approved a resolution that will order three investor-owned utilities in California to enter a contract with Calpine Corporation’s Sutter Energy Center within 30 days. The CPUC believes that the capacity and operational flexibility of the Sutter Energy Center will be needed for future system reliability.
Sutter is one of the newest and cleanest natural gas-fired plants. Located near Yuba City, the low water consumption, combined-cycle power facility has the capacity to produce 578MW of electricity. A vital contributor to the local Sacramento Valley economy, the facility began commercial operation in 2001 and has generated more than US2.6 million in annual property tax revenue and employing 26 community residents with an annual payroll of about US3 million.