As reported in dramatic news coverage from California yesterday, the wild fires raging on have also affected the Geysers geothermal field in Sonoma County and Lake County.
The area which is host to 14 geothermal plants, has seen some serious fires. It is now reported that five cooling towers have burned at Calpine’s Geysers geothermal power generation facility.
As the LA Times reports, the geothermal facility “continues to produce electricity at more than two-thirds of its full capacity, said Brett Kerr, a spokesman for the plant’s operator, Houston-based Calpine.
In addition to the five cooling towers, the facility has sustained damage to some power lines and communications. But the powerhouses themselves have not been damaged by the fires, Kerr said. At 725 megawatts of power, the Geysers provides more than 10% of Calpine’s electricity generation in California and employs about 300 workers and 150 contractors.”
A spokesperson for California Independent System Operator, which manages California’s electric grid, said that the damage to the Geysers geothermal power facilities don’t have an effect on the reliability of electric supply in California.
