— Cleaner plant with one unit converted from coal to natural gas and additional emissions controls equipment on all units —

NEW ROADS, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 20, 2012-- Louisiana Generating, a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), will continue emissions reductions at the Big Cajun II Electrical Generating Station while providing affordable power to cooperative customers in Louisiana.

After buying Big Cajun II, Louisiana Generating upgraded the burners and fuel that reduced nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions by a third. These additional changes and upgrades announced today will further that progress. Work will be done during regularly scheduled outages and completed by April 2015.

“We are very proud of the work we have done to reduce emissions at Big Cajun II over the decade we have owned the plant,” said Jennifer Vosburg, President of Louisiana Generating. “We are equally proud of the work we will do over the next three years to make Big Cajun II even cleaner.”

To meet EPA’s Mercury Air Toxics Standards (MATS) requirements, Louisiana Generating will convert one of the three units at the plant from coal to natural gas, eliminating virtually all mercury and particulate matter from the unit’s emissions. Louisiana Generating will also install activated carbon injection on another unit and upgrade the electrostatic precipitators. MATS goes into effect in April of 2015.

“This conversion will allow us to meet new EPA regulations as we see greater diversity and flexibility in our ability to meet the power needs of our customers on the hottest and coldest days,” said Vosburg. “All plants across the nation will have to meet these new EPA requirements and through this natural gas conversion, we have selected the route that ensures our co-op customers will benefit from cleaner and more diverse power as they continue to enjoy electricity costs that are among the lowest in Louisiana.”

Separate from the new regulation, Louisiana Generating has also settled decade-old charges by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality for work done by the previous owner of the Big Cajun II Electric Generating Station. With this agreement, Louisiana Generating will:

• Install Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) control equipment to reduce nitrogen oxide on all three units.
• Install Dry Sorbent Injection equipment on Unit 1 to reduce sulfur dioxide.

The capital cost of making the plant modifications and achieving the emission improvements are within the total environmental capital costs previously disclosed publicly by NRG.

“This agreement provides greater strength for Big Cajun II through additional controls that will allow the plant to comply with environmental regulations both now and in the future,” said Vosburg. “In addition, the mitigation projects covered by the agreement will provide an opportunity to give back to our community as it showcases NRG Energy's alternative energy solutions such as solar and electrical vehicles in Louisiana. This is a win-win-win situation – a win for the environment, a win for our customers and a win for our community.”

About Louisiana Generating and NRG Energy

NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), through its wholly owned subsidiaries Louisiana Generating LLC and NRG Power Marketing LLC, manages a diverse portfolio of load and generation along the Gulf Coast. Louisiana Generating LLC serves the full requirements needs for 10 Louisiana electric cooperatives with a peak demand of over 2,300 MW. The total generation portfolio exceeds 3,600 MW, and includes a diverse mix of coal and gas-fired generation in Louisiana and East Texas.

A Fortune 300 company, NRG is a pioneer in developing cleaner and smarter energy choices for our customers: whether as one of the largest solar power developers in the country, or by building the first privately funded electric vehicle charging infrastructure or by giving customers the latest smart energy solutions to better manage their energy use. Our diverse power generating facilities can support over 20 million homes and our retail electricity providers—Reliant, Green Mountain Energy Company and Energy Plus—serve more than two million customers. More information is available at nrgenergy.com. Connect with NRG Energy on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @nrgenergy.

Safe Harbor Disclosure

This news release contains forward-looking statements of NRG Energy, Inc. within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions and include expectations regarding its subsidiary, Louisiana Generating, and certain power supply contracts. These forward-looking statements typically can be identified by the use of words such as “will,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “forecast,” “plan,” “believe” and similar terms. Although NRG believes that its expectations are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct, and actual results may vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated above include, among others, general economic conditions, hazards customary in the power industry, the volatility of energy and fuel prices, failure of customers to perform under contracts, changes in government regulation of markets and of environmental emissions, the condition of capital markets generally, and weather conditions.

NRG undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The foregoing review of factors that could cause NRG’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the forward-looking statements included in this news release should be considered in connection with information regarding risks and uncertainties that may affect NRG’s future results included in NRG’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

Source: NRG Energy, Inc.

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