big deal

Houston-based Calpine Corp. to be acquired in clean energy megadeal

Houston's Calpine Corp. will be acquired by Baltimore-based nuclear power company Constellation Energy Corp. Photo via DOE

Baltimore-based nuclear power company Constellation Energy Corp. and Houston-based Calpine Corp. have entered into an agreement where Constellation will acquire Calpine in a cash and stock transaction with an overall net purchase price of $26.6 billion.

The companies say the agreement has the potential to create America’s “largest clean energy provider,” with what is reported to be the largest fleet of U.S. power stations servicing about 2.5 million customers.

“This is an incredible opportunity to bring together top tier generation fleets, leading retail customer businesses and the best people in our industry to help drive a stronger American economy for a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future,” Andrew Novotny, president and CEO of Calpine, said in a news release.

Calpine is the largest U.S. producer of energy from low-emission natural gas generation and oversees the largest geothermal generation operation in the U.S. Last year it announced plans to build the Baytown Carbon Capture and Storage Project (Baytown CCS Project), a first-of-its-kind carbon capture demonstration facility, as part of a cost-sharing agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Constellation is considered the top clean energy producer in the U.S., which provides 10 percent of the country’s emissions-free energy. The deal will add to Constellation’s already diverse portfolio of zero- and low-emission sources, including nuclear, natural gas, geothermal, hydro, wind, solar, cogeneration and battery storage.

“Both companies have been at the forefront of America’s transition to cleaner, more reliable and secure energy, and those shared values will guide us as we pursue investments in new and existing clean technologies to meet rising demand,” Joe Dominguez, president and CEO of Constellation, said the release. “What makes this combination even more special is it brings together two world-class teams, with the most talented women and men in the industry, who share a noble passion for safety, sustainability, operational excellence and helping America’s families, businesses and communities thrive and grow. We look forward to welcoming the Calpine team upon closing of this transaction.”

Constellation also announced that it will invest in adding more zero-emission energy to the grid to create “the most reliable generation portfolio in the U.S.” It plans to explore new advanced nuclear projects, invest in renewables and increase the output of existing nuclear plants.

“Together, we will be better positioned to bring accelerated investment in everything from zero-emission nuclear energy to battery storage that will power our economy in a way that puts people and our environment first,” Novotny said in a news release. “It’s a win for every American family and business in our newly combined footprint that wants clean and reliable energy. ECP’s commitment to these goals over the last seven years was critical to the progress we have made as a company and to laying a foundation for future growth.”

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A View From HETI

ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Darren Woods said during the company’s recent second-quarter earnings call that the company is "concerned about the development of a broader market" for its low-carbon hydrogen plant in Baytown. Photo via exxonmobil.com

Spring-based ExxonMobil, the country’s largest oil and gas company, might delay or cancel what would be the world’s largest low-carbon hydrogen plant due to a significant change in federal law. The project carries a $7 billion price tag.

The Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act created a new 10-year incentive, the 45V tax credit, for production of clean hydrogen. But under President Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," the window for starting construction of low-carbon hydrogen projects that qualify for the tax credit has narrowed. The Inflation Reduction Act mandated that construction start by 2033. But the Big Beautiful Bill switched the construction start time to early 2028.

“While our project can meet this timeline, we’re concerned about the development of a broader market, which is critical to transition from government incentives,” ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Darren Woods said during the company’s recent second-quarter earnings call.

Woods said ExxonMobil is working to determine whether a combination of the 45Q tax credit for carbon capture projects and the revised 45V tax credit will help pave the way for a “broader” low-carbon hydrogen market.

“If we can’t see an eventual path to a market-driven business, we won’t move forward with the [Baytown] project,” Woods said.

“We knew that helping to establish a brand-new product and a brand-new market initially driven by government policy would not be easy or advance in a straight line,” he added.

Woods said ExxonMobil is trying to nail down sales contracts connected to the project, including exports of ammonia to Asia and Europe and sales of hydrogen in the U.S.

ExxonMobil announced in 2022 that it would build the low-carbon hydrogen plant at its refining and petrochemical complex in Baytown. The company has said the plant is slated to go online in 2027 and 2028.

As it stands now, ExxonMobil wants the Baytown plant to produce up to 1 billion cubic feet of hydrogen per day made from natural gas, and capture and store more than 98 percent of the associated carbon dioxide. The company has said the project could store as much as 10 million metric tons of CO2 per year.

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