— Community non-profit organizations benefit from a wide variety of philanthropic projects —

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 9, 2014-- More than 1,200 employees of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) recently took a break from delivering energy to customers and instead contributed energy to their communities through volunteer projects for the company’s seventh annual NRG Global Giving Day. Teams of employees signed up to help 74 charities in 13 states, performing a wide variety of tasks and contributing more than 6,300 volunteer hours during the multi-day event.

“Each year, NRG reaffirms its ongoing commitment to making the world a better place. While our clean energy projects help the environment, we also demonstrate our commitment to our communities by spending time outside the office to help improve the neighborhoods where we live and work,” said Jennifer Brunelle, Director of NRG Global Giving. “We strive to be good community neighbors by making the greatest positive impact possible on the lives of those people who need help the most.”

Employees from many of the company’s offices and power plants around the country performed work that directly benefits organizations that help people in the community. In addition to the employee volunteer efforts, NRG makes a financial donation to targeted organizations in association with the event.

NRG operates in three major regional areas across the country: East, Gulf Coast, and West. Some of the states in which NRG employees volunteered include:

New Jersey

• Princeton – Hundreds of employee volunteers from NRG headquarters performed various tasks such as organizing and cleaning, bicycle and computer reconditioning, gardening and painting for 12 different non-profits in Mercer County, including HomeFront, Learning Ally, Dress for Success, Mercer Street Friends Food Bank and YWCA. Employees also partnered with non-profits GRID Alternatives and the Affordable Housing Alliance to install solar panels at a home in Eatontown in Monmouth County.

Pennsylvania

• Philadelphia – Employee volunteers from the NRG Northeast Retail team picked up litter and performed planting and weeding for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; sorted and cataloged elementary school library books for the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children; and staffed the Night Market for The Food Trust.
• New Florence – Employees from the Conemaugh Station painted doors and handrails at the Laurel Valley Senior Citizens Center, and another team of volunteers from Seward performed cleaning, painting and mulching at the New Florence Recreation Club.

New York

• Oswego, NY – Employees from the Oswego Station volunteered at Human Concerns food pantry and the Salvation Army, sorting and organizing non-perishable food items and serving breakfast to program participants.
• Staten Island – Arthur Kill Station employees rehabilitated a handicapped access ramp and performed other repairs and landscaping at the headquarters of A Very Special Place, which is still recovering from Hurricane Sandy.

Texas

• Houston – Volunteers from NRG’s Houston headquarters sorted food at the Houston Food Bank, wrote notes of encouragement and gratitude for Star of Hope and American Red Cross, assembled hurricane preparedness bags for Interfaith Ministries, and performed various other tasks for Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas and Memorial Hermann.
• Austin – Volunteers from NRG retail subsidiary Green Mountain Energy performed street cleanup and tended a volunteer garden for Keep Austin Beautiful and the Trail Foundation.
• Limestone County – Limestone Station employees split into three teams in three adjacent counties to volunteer for projects with Old Fort Parker (facility repair and painting), Lone Star Master Gardener (installing an irrigation water line to the Veterans Memorial at the Leon County Courthouse) and the Freestone County Historical Society and Museum (cleaning and archiving historical items).

Louisiana

• New Roads – NRG’s South Central offices fielded a team of volunteers to help the Pointe Coupee Parish Library, Pointe Coupee Parks and Recreation Center and H.O.P.E. Ministry Food Bank with planting flower beds, painting, filling 400 bags for monthly food distribution, setup work for senior citizen event, and painting, landscaping and drywall installation to prepare a home for habitation.

Arizona

• Phoenix – A team of employees from NRG and its Sunora subsidiary volunteered at the Phoenix Dream Center to complete extensive facilities improvement projects. The team helped open a new residential suite to house children transitioning out of foster care, painted the cafeteria and laundry room that serves 300 residents, planted flowers and completed drywall repairs.

California

• San Diego – A team of employees from NRG Solar partnered with non-profit GRID Alternatives to install solar panels at two low-income homes to lower the families’ electricity bills.
• Carlsbad – NRG’s West Region and Solar headquarters sent a group of volunteers to the San Diego Food Bank to sort food donations.
• Antioch – Employees from the Pittsburg and Marsh Landing Stations volunteered at Opportunity Junction, making facility improvements, performing an Energy Audit and implementing energy efficiency measures, and doing mock interviews and providing feedback for program participants.
• Oxnard – A team of employees from Ormond Beach and Mandalay Stations helped out by painting and gardening at Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families.

About NRG

NRG is leading a customer-driven change in the U.S. energy industry by delivering cleaner and smarter energy choices, while building on the strength of the nation’s largest and most diverse competitive power portfolio. A Fortune 250 company, we create value through reliable and efficient conventional generation while driving innovation in solar and renewable power, electric vehicle ecosystems, carbon capture technology and customer-centric energy solutions. Our retail electricity providers serve almost 3 million residential and commercial customers throughout the country. More information is available at www.nrgenergy.com. Connect with NRG Energy on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @nrgenergy.

Source: NRG Energy, Inc.

For NRG Energy, Inc.
Karen Cleeve, 609-524-4608
or
David Knox, 832-357-5730