PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 22, 2005--NRG Energy, Inc. has received a Title V Air Permit, from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, to add a fourth unit of generating capacity at its Big Cajun II Generating Station in New Roads, Louisiana.

The Big Cajun II facility is currently a three-unit, 1,730 megawatt (MW) coal generating station. Should the Company move forward with construction, the $1 billion, 675 MW expansion project would be designed with clean technology - using low sulfur coal and a supercritical boiler that increases efficiency and uses less fuel to generate the same amount of electric power as traditional boilers. The project would take about four years to build, generate nearly 1,100 temporary jobs at peak construction and create a permanent operating staff of 40.

"With the issuance of the air permit, we can now move forward with our evaluation of potential partners and customers who are critical to our evaluation of whether to proceed with the project," said John Brewster, President of NRG's South Central Region. "NRG has already invested $1 billion dollars in Louisiana and the proposed plant would significantly increase our investment in the state."

"We welcome the possibility of developing a project that would deliver so many benefits to Louisiana and Pointe Coupee Parish," said Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. "The Big Cajun expansion will bring jobs to the community and provide consumers, homeowners and businesses a reliable source of energy."

NRG currently is the largest single taxpayer in Pointe Coupee Parish, contributing $5.2 million in taxes every year, serving all the electricity needs of Louisiana's 11 electric cooperatives, which operate in 58 parishes and serve approximately 350,000 households. NRG is also the largest private employer in the Parish, employing 217 people at Big Cajun II. In addition to job creation, the state and local governments would receive approximately $7.1 million annually in additional taxes from economic activity associated with the construction project.

The expansion would be built adjacent to the existing generating units and use the existing infrastructure including roads and water treatment facilities, minimizing any environmental impact to the surrounding area.

Louisiana Generating, LLC, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc., operates and provides wholesale power to cooperatives, municipalities, and investor-owned utilities. Louisiana Generating owns the Big Cajun I and Big Cajun II power generating plants that serve 11 cooperatives.

NRG Energy, Inc. owns and operates a diverse portfolio of power-generating facilities, primarily in the Northeast, South Central and Western regions of the United States. Its operations include baseload, intermediate, peaking, and cogeneration facilities, thermal energy production and energy resource recovery facilities. NRG also has ownership interests in generating facilities in Australia and Germany.

This news release contains forward-looking statements 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, but are not limited to statements regarding the expected timing and manner of construction, environmental impact of the expansion and the generation of temporary and permanent jobs and typically can be identified by the use of words such as "will," "would," "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.

NRG undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 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.

CONTACT: NRG Energy, Inc., Princeton Investor Relations: Katy Sullivan, 609-524-4527 or Media Inquiries: Meredith Moore, 609-524-4522 or Jay Mandel, 609-524-4525 SOURCE: NRG Energy, Inc. --> Untitled Document

Contact:			Investor Relations			Media Relations
			Nahla Azmy			Meredith Moore
			Director, Investor Relations			Director, Communications
			609.524.4526			609.524.4522
			Katy Sullivan			Jay Mandel
			Manager, Investor Relations			Manager, Communications
			609.524.4527			609.524.4525