UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


      Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 31, 2005


                               CALPINE CORPORATION
                            (A Delaware Corporation)

                        Commission file number: 001-12079

                  I.R.S. Employer Identification No. 77-0212977

                           50 West San Fernando Street
                           San Jose, California 95113
                            Telephone: (408) 995-5115

     Check the  appropriate  box below if the Form 8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

     [ ]  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
          (17 CFR 230.425)

     [ ]  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act
          (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

     [ ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
          Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

     [ ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
          Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))






ITEM 8.01 -- OTHER EVENTS

     On March 31, 2005, Deer Park Energy Center Limited Partnership, an indirect
wholly-owned subsidiary of Calpine Corporation, signed a 650-megawatt,  six-year
power sales agreement with Merrill Lynch Commodities, Inc. Under the power sales
agreement,  Deer Park has received  approximately $195 million,  net of fees and
expenses,  as an upfront payment for future power deliveries.  Deer Park expects
to receive  approximately  $70  million  in  additional  payments  over the next
several  months  upon  satisfying  certain  conditions  under  the  power  sales
agreement, resulting in net upfront payments to Deer Park totaling approximately
$265 million.  Deer Park has also arranged to purchase  natural gas from Merrill
Lynch Commodities,  Inc. over the term of the power sales agreement,  which will
reduce the working  capital  required to secure a long-term  fuel supply for the
facility.

     Deliveries  under the power sales agreement began on April 1, 2005 and will
continue  through  December 31, 2010.  Deer Park's  obligations are secured by a
lien on the Deer  Park  Energy  Center  and some of its  related  assets.  It is
expected that the upfront payments received by Deer Park in connection with this
transaction  will be  distributed by Deer Park to Calpine  Corporation  and then
used by Calpine Corporation for general corporate purposes.

     A copy of the press  release  relating  to the  power  sales  agreement  is
attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.



ITEM 9.01 -- FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

(a)  Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired.

     Not  Applicable

(b)  Pro Forma Financial Information.

     Not  Applicable

(c)  Exhibits.

     99.1. Press release, dated April 1, 2005.






                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                  CALPINE CORPORATION

                                  By:  /s/ Charles B. Clark, Jr.
                                       ------------------------------------
                                       Charles B. Clark, Jr.
                                       Senior Vice President, Controller and
                                       Chief Accounting Officer


Date: April 13, 2005






EXHIBIT 99.1.

NEWS RELEASE
                                                        CONTACTS: (408) 995-5115
                                    Media Relations:  Bill Highlander, Ext. 1244
                                    Investor Relations:  Karen Bunton, Ext. 1121


               Deer Park Energy Center Signs Power Sales Agreement
                      With Merrill Lynch Commodities, Inc.

     (SAN  JOSE,  Calif.)  /PR  Newswire - First  Call/  April 1, 2005 - Calpine
Corporation's  [NYSE:CPN]  Deer Park  Energy  Center has signed a  650-megawatt,
six-year power sales agreement with Merrill Lynch  Commodities,  Inc. As part of
this agreement,  Deer Park has received  approximately $195 million, net of fees
and  expenses,  as an upfront  payment for future  power  deliveries  under this
contract.  Deer Park expects to receive  approximately $70 million in additional
payments over the next several months upon satisfying  certain  conditions under
the power  sales  agreement,  resulting  in net  upfront  payments  to Deer Park
totaling  approximately  $265  million.  Deer Park has also arranged to purchase
natural gas from Merrill Lynch over the term of the power sales agreement, which
will reduce the working  capital  required to secure a long-term fuel supply for
the facility.

     "This  transaction  helps  Calpine  to  achieve  its  risk  management  and
liquidity  goals,"  stated Bob Kelly,  Calpine  chief  financial  officer.  "The
agreement  enables us to lock in fixed  prices on a  long-term  contract  with a
creditworthy counterparty while enhancing our liquidity by realizing some of the
value of this contract on an accelerated basis."

     Deliveries  under the power sales agreement will begin on April 1, 2005 and
continue  through  December 31, 2010.  Deer Park's  obligations are secured by a
lien on the Deer  Park  Energy  Center  and some of its  related  assets.  It is
expected that the upfront payments received by Deer Park in connection with this
transaction  will be  distributed by Deer Park to Calpine  Corporation  and then
used by Calpine for general corporate purposes.

     The  Deer  Park  Energy  Center  is  a  1,019-megawatt   natural  gas-fired
combined-cycle  power plant located on the Houston Ship Channel east of Houston,
Texas.  Deer Park also provides  steam to the adjacent joint Shell Deer Park Oil
Refining Company and Shell Chemical LP manufacturing  facility. In May 2004, the
Deer Park Energy Center was  recognized  for its  "leadership  in energy supply"
with a 2003  Energy  Star(R)  Combined  Heat  and  Power  Award  from  the  U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

     A  major  power  company,   Calpine  Corporation   supplies  customers  and
communities  with  electricity  from clean,  efficient,  natural  gas-fired  and
geothermal power plants. Calpine owns, leases and operates integrated systems of
plants in 21 U.S. states,  three Canadian provinces and the United Kingdom.  Its
customized  products  and services  include  wholesale  and retail  electricity,
natural gas, gas turbine components and services, energy management,  and a wide
range of power plant engineering,  construction and operations services. Calpine
was founded in 1984. It is included in the S&P 500 Index and is publicly  traded
on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CPN. For more information, visit
http://www.calpine.com.

     This  news  release  discusses  certain  matters  that  may  be  considered
"forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as  amended,  including  statements  regarding  the  intent,  belief or  current
expectations  of  Calpine   Corporation  ("the  Company")  and  its  management.
Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are
not  guarantees  of  future  performance  and  involve  a number  of  risks  and
uncertainties  that could  materially  affect  actual  results  such as, but not
limited to, (i) the timing and extent of  deregulation of energy markets and the
rules and regulations adopted on a transitional basis with respect thereto; (ii)
the timing and extent of changes in  commodity  prices for energy,  particularly
natural gas and electricity;  (iii) commercial operations of new plants that may
be delayed or prevented because of various  development and construction  risks,
such as a failure  to obtain  the  necessary  permits  to  operate,  failure  of
third-party  contractors to perform their contractual  obligations or failure to
obtain  financing on acceptable  terms;  (iv)  unscheduled  outages of operating
plants; (v) a competitor's  development of lower cost generating gas-fired power
plants; (vi) risks associated with marketing and selling power from power plants
in the newly-competitive  energy market; (vii) the successful exploitation of an
oil or gas resource  that  ultimately  depends upon the geology of the resource,
the total  amount  and costs to  develop  recoverable  reserves  and  operations
factors  relating to the  extraction  of natural gas;  (viii) the effects on the
Company's  business  resulting  from reduced  liquidity in the trading and power
industry;  (ix) the  Company's  ability to access the capital  markets or obtain
bank financing on attractive  terms;  (x) the direct or indirect  effects on the
Company's business of a lowering of its credit rating (or actions it may take in
response to changing credit rating criteria),  including,  increased  collateral
requirements,  refusal by the Company's  current or potential  counterparties to
enter into transactions with it and its inability to obtain credit or capital in
desired  amounts or on favorable  terms;  and (xi) other risks  identified  from
time-to-time in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the
SEC, including the risk factors identified in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year  ended  December  31,  2004 , which can also be found on the  Company's
website at www.calpine.com. All information set forth in this news release is as
of today's date, and the Company undertakes no duty to update this information.