2015 Will Be Year of the Woman in California Energy Policy
“It is a priority at Calpine to provide the outstanding women we have working with us opportunities to develop into leaders not only within Calpine but also in their communities,” said Kassandra Gough, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Calpine. “This is a great opportunity to connect these women directly with the people making energy policy for the state – many of whom are women.”
With 15 geothermal power plants at The Geysers, Calpine is the proud steward of that unique, powerful source of geothermal energy that is, providing roughly 18% of California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard.
Participants will meet with Rachel Michelin, CEO, California Women Lead, to learn about the appointments process at the state and local levels. They also will meet with former Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and 3.14 Communications founder Cassandra Pye about personal branding and networking. Lastly, in addition to attending the legislative reception they will meet one-on-one with several state leaders including Senator Jean Fuller, Assembly Minority Leader Kristen Olsen, Assembly Member Susan Eggman, Assembly Member Cristina Garcia, and State Board of Equalization Member Fiona Ma.
With the goals recently announced by Governor Brown, this year is poised to be an important year for California energy policy. And more women will be in leadership positions in California energy policy than ever before. For the first time, the majority of the California Public Utilities Commission will be women. Both Assembly leaders, Speaker Toni Atkins and Leader Olsen, and the Governor’s top advisors, including Anne Gust Brown, Nancy McFadden, Dana Williamson, and CARB Chair Mary Nichols are women. Additionally, Senator Fran Pavley heads the Natural Resources and Water Committee and Senator Fuller is Vice Chair of the Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee.
Calpine is one of California’s largest clean energy providers and has long been a leader in California energy policy. As a producer of both renewable geothermal power and clean, natural gas power that together generate enough capacity to serve the equivalent of nearly 10% of California’s peak power demand, Calpine is perfectly positioned to help California achieve its ambitious energy and climate goals.
With 15 geothermal power plants at The Geysers, Calpine is the proud steward of that unique, powerful source of geothermal energy that is, providing roughly 18% of California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard. The Geysers also is the world’s largest energy source powered by recycled water, done through its innovative landmark agreement with the City of Santa Rosa and Lake County for approximately 20 million gallons of recycled water to recharge The Geysers and produce renewable energy. Calpine’s Geysers operations alone supports over 300 full-time jobs and is the largest property taxpayer in Lake and Sonoma Counties, providing important revenue for local governments
