– Ceases Coal-Fueled Generation at Mt. Bethel, Pa. Plant and Invests
in Environmental Projects –
PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 15, 2013--
NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) has agreed with the States of New Jersey
and Connecticut to settle a lawsuit concerning the operation of two
coal-fueled electric generating units at the company’s Portland
Generating Station in Mt. Bethel, Pa. The settlement, via a federal
Consent Decree, allows the parties to avoid further litigation of a
lawsuit that began in 2007.
"NRG only acquired the Portland plant in December 2012 when we closed
our merger with GenOn – but we immediately started working with New
Jersey and Connecticut and were able to resolve this issue without
additional delay or cost to taxpayers," said Lee Davis, President of
NRG’s East Region. "As a part of the settlement, we committed to make a
significant investment in projects that are beneficial to the
environment consistent with NRG’s focus on providing power in a way that
is environmentally responsible, reliable and affordable." NRG is the
nation’s largest developer of fast-charging infrastructure for electric
vehicles, and a leading developer of large-scale and distributed solar
energy.
The agreement ends a lawsuit brought by the States of New Jersey and
Connecticut for alleged noncompliance with the federal Clean Air Act at
the Portland plant based on work done many years before NRG acquired the
facility. NRG operates the Portland plant in full compliance with
permits issued by Pennsylvania and denies there have been any violations
of the Clean Air Act. However, the company agreed with New Jersey and
Connecticut that settlement of this action is in the public interest and
the most efficient means of resolving the dispute. NRG operates
generating stations in 16 states including New Jersey and Connecticut;
the company’s commercial headquarters is located in Princeton, N.J.
To meet the requirements of the settlement, NRG will stop using coal as
fuel in two units at its Portland facility by June 1, 2014 after
receiving the appropriate regulatory approvals. The units were
previously scheduled to be deactivated on January 6, 2015. NRG has also
agreed to invest $1 million to benefit the environment in New Jersey and
Connecticut.
The Consent Decree will be provided to the U.S. Department of Justice
(DOJ) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for review and
comment for a period of 45 days and then must be approved by the U.S.
District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Portland Station is a 570 MW plant, located 26 miles northeast of
Bethlehem, Pa., on the Delaware River.
About NRG
NRG is at the forefront of changing how people think about and use
energy. We deliver cleaner and smarter energy choices for our customers,
backed by the nation’s largest independent power generation portfolio of
fossil fuel, nuclear, solar and wind facilities. A Fortune 500 company,
NRG is challenging the U.S. energy industry by becoming one of the
largest developers of solar power, building the first privately-funded
electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and providing customers with
the most advanced smart energy solutions to better manage their energy
use. In addition to 47,000 megawatts of generation capacity, enough to
supply nearly 40 million homes, our retail electricity providers –
Reliant, Green Mountain Energy and Energy Plus – serve more than two
million customers. More information is available at www.nrgenergy.com.
Connect with NRG Energy on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @nrgenergy.
NRG Safe Harbor Disclosure
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
NRG’s expectations regarding the Company’s Portland facility and
forward-looking statements typically can be identified by the use of
words such as “will,” “expect,” “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, competition in wholesale power markets, the volatility
of energy and fuel prices, failure of customers to perform under
contracts, changes in the wholesale power markets, changes in government
regulation of markets and of environmental emissions, and our ability to
achieve the expected benefits and timing of our power generation
projects. 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.
NRG
Media:
David Gaier, 609-524-4529
or
Dave Knox,
713-537-2130
or
Investors:
Chad Plotkin, 609-524-4526
or
Andy
Davis, 609-524-4527