Thomas Mason

2011 Co-op Hall of Fame Inductee

Co-op Alumnus

Tom Mason is a former Purdue co-op student and has 40 years of technical and senior management experience in the power industry. He was a 2007 Outstanding ECE awardee.

Mason currently leads Gravity Power, LLC, a start-up, energy storage company founded in 2008 that provides turnkey plants for US and international power companies.

Mason retired in 2006 from Calpine Corporation as an executive vice president and president of its Calpine Power Co.

Mason joined Calpine in 1999 and grew to be responsible for managing P&L for 92 gas-fired and geothermal power plants and more than 2300 employees. He also created a turbine component development and manufacturing subsidiary and managed Calpine Natural Gas Company. When he joined he was one of two executive vice presidents reporting to the President, CEO and Chairman.

Mason came to Calpine after serving as president and COO of CalEnergy where he was responsible for generation assets in the United States, the Philippines, and Indonesia. He joined CalEnergy in 1991 and served first as vice president and general manager of the Coso, CA, and operations and then as vice president of project development and operations until his appointment as president and COO. Under his leadership, the company expanded from five facilities producing 250 megawatts to 13 facilities producing 553 megawatts of power. CalEnergy acquired MidAmerican Energy and took its name which in 2000 was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway.

Prior to joining CalEnergy, Mason was vice president and general manager of Kiewit Energy Company responsible for developing all aspects of non-utility power generation business. Prior experiences include a broad range of assignments with Energy Factors, Solar Turbines, and Commonwealth Edison.

Mason is a member of the Purdue ECE Advisory Board and his son currently is a student at Purdue.

Degrees

B.S. '66, Electrical Engineering, Purdue University
MBA '70, Finance and Marketing, University of Chicago

Current Position (as of nomination)

CEO of Gravity Power, LLC