By Laila Kearney and Seher Dareen
NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. nuclear power provider Constellation Energy (NASDAQ:) on Friday agreed to buy privately held and geothermal company Calpine Corp for $16.4 billion, one of the biggest acquisitions in U.S. power industry history.
The cash-and-stock deal comes at a time of rising electricity demand, driven by the proliferation of energy-guzzling AI data centers and the electrification of transportation and buildings, which are expected to hit a record this year. Including debt, the transaction valued Calpine at $26.6 billion.
“Demand for our products is expected to grow by levels we haven’t seen in a lifetime,” Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez said on a call with investors following the announcement.
The agreement will turn Constellation, the biggest U.S. nuclear plant operator, into the largest U.S. independent power provider, sharply growing its mix of natural gas-fired electricity generation.
“Natural gas is going to see a significant resurgence because it is necessary to power the grid,” Dominguez separately told Reuters in an interview.
“That doesn’t mean that just any natural gas is needed,” he said, adding that Calpine’s low carbon-intensity gas fleet and advancements in carbon capture technology were part of what made it an attractive purchase.
Shares of Constellation rose 25% to close above $305, their largest ever daily percentage gain.
The transaction, which is expected to close this year, could add $2 billion to Constellation’s free cash flow annually, and together the companies would have nearly 60 gigawatts (GW) of capacity from zero- and low-emission sources, including nuclear, natural gas and geothermal, Constellation said.
“Overall, the transaction creates the largest coast-to-coast power generator,” S&P’s Aneesh Prabhu said.
BIGGER FOOTPRINT
With the acquisition, Constellation’s employee base will grow by nearly 20% to 16,500.
“The combination makes CEG bigger in Texas (up to 25% of capacity from 15%), and reduces exposure to PJM (down to 45% from 65%). The supply-demand situation in those regions appears very favorable,” said Tim Winter, portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds.
The arrangement also increases exposure to California to 10% from a negligible amount. California and Texas are the two most populous and energy-consuming U.S. states.
Shares of Constellation have jumped by more than 100% over the past year as Big Tech, many with climate-related pledges requiring low-carbon power purchases, boosted demand for nuclear power, which produces virtually no global warming emissions.
In September, Constellation announced an unprecedented power purchase agreement to resume operations at its Three Mile Island nuclear plant to supply electricity to Microsoft (NASDAQ:) data centers.
Last month, the company said it would receive a record $1 billion in nuclear power supply and energy-efficiency contracts with the U.S. government.
With a limited amount of nuclear power available, natural gas has become a more attractive option for data center demand.
Reuters was the first to report in May last year that the three investment firms that took Calpine private in 2017 – Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Energy Capital Partners (WA:) and Access Industries – were considering a sale of Calpine.
