0000001 - Document - Cover link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000002 - Statement - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000003 - Statement - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/(LOSS) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000004 - Statement - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000005 - Statement - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000006 - Statement - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000007 - Statement - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000008 - Statement - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (Parenthetical) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000009 - Disclosure - Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000010 - Disclosure - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000011 - Disclosure - Revenue Recognition link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000012 - Disclosure - Acquisitions and Dispositions link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000013 - Disclosure - Fair Value of Financial Instruments link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000014 - Disclosure - Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000015 - Disclosure - Long-term Debt and Finance Leases link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000016 - Disclosure - Investments Accounted for Using the Equity Method and Variable Interest Entities, or VIEs link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000017 - Disclosure - Changes in Capital Structure link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000018 - Disclosure - Income/(Loss) Per Share link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000019 - Disclosure - Segment Reporting link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000020 - Disclosure - Income Taxes link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000021 - Disclosure - Related Party Transactions link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000022 - Disclosure - Commitments and Contingencies link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000023 - Disclosure - Regulatory Matters link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 0000024 - Disclosure - Environmental Matters link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954471 - Disclosure - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954472 - Disclosure - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954473 - Disclosure - Revenue Recognition (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954474 - Disclosure - Acquisitions and Dispositions (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954475 - Disclosure - Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954476 - Disclosure - Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954477 - Disclosure - Long-term Debt and Finance Leases (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954478 - Disclosure - Investments Accounted for Using the Equity Method and Variable Interest Entities, or VIEs (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954479 - Disclosure - Changes in Capital Structure (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954480 - Disclosure - Income/(Loss) Per Share (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954481 - Disclosure - Segment Reporting (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954482 - Disclosure - Income Taxes (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954483 - Disclosure - Related Party Transactions (Tables) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954484 - Disclosure - Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation - General (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954485 - Disclosure - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Other Balance Sheet Information (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954486 - Disclosure - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Activity in the Allowance for Credit Losses (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954487 - Disclosure - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Cash and Cash Equivalents, Funds Deposited by Counterparties and Restricted Cash (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954488 - Disclosure - Revenue Recognition - Performance Obligations Expected Timing of Satisfaction (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954488 - Disclosure - Revenue Recognition - Performance Obligations Expected Timing of Satisfaction (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954489 - Disclosure - Revenue Recognition - Disaggregation of Revenue (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954490 - Disclosure - Revenue Recognition - Contract Assets and Liabilities (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954491 - Disclosure - Acquisitions and Dispositions - Acquisitions Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954492 - Disclosure - Acquisitions and Dispositions - Consideration (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954493 - Disclosure - Acquisitions and Dispositions - Dispositions (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954494 - Disclosure - Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Estimated Carrying Amounts and Fair Value of Long-term Debt (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954495 - Disclosure - Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Assets and Liabilities Measured and Recorded at Fair Value (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954496 - Disclosure - Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Reconciliation of Level 3 Financial Instruments (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954497 - Disclosure - Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Contractual Obligations From the Consumer Financing Program (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954498 - Disclosure - Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Derivative Fair Value Measurements, Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954499 - Disclosure - Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Derivative Fair Value Measurements (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954500 - Disclosure - Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Counterparty Credit Risk (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954501 - Disclosure - Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954502 - Disclosure - Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities - Net Notional Volume Buy/Sell of Open Derivative Transactions (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954503 - Disclosure - Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities - Fair Value within the Derivative Instrument Valuation (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954504 - Disclosure - Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities - Offsetting of Derivatives by Counterparty Master Agreement Level and Collateral Received (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954505 - Disclosure - Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities - Pre-tax Effects of Economic Hedges Not Designated as Cash Flow Hedges (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954506 - Disclosure - Long-term Debt and Finance Leases - Schedule of Long-term Debt and Finance Leases (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954507 - Disclosure - Long-term Debt and Finance Leases - Senior Credit Facility (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954508 - Disclosure - Long-term Debt and Finance Leases - Senior Notes (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954509 - Disclosure - Long-term Debt and Finance Leases - Senior Note Repurchases (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954510 - Disclosure - Long-term Debt and Finance Leases - Interest Expense in Connection with Convertible Senior Notes, due 2048 (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954511 - Disclosure - Long-term Debt and Finance Leases -Vivint Term Loan Repricing (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954512 - Disclosure - Investments Accounted for Using the Equity Method and Variable Interest Entities, or VIEs - Summarized Financial Information (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954513 - Disclosure - Changes in Capital Structure - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954514 - Disclosure - Changes in Capital Structure - Changes in NRG's Common Stock Issued and Outstanding (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954515 - Disclosure - Changes in Capital Structure ASR Activity (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954516 - Disclosure - Changes in Capital Structure - NRG Common Stock Dividends (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954517 - Disclosure - Changes in Capital Structure - Preferred Stock (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954518 - Disclosure - Income/(Loss) Per Share - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954519 - Disclosure - Income/(Loss) Per Share - Basic and Diluted EPS (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954520 - Disclosure - Segment Reporting (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954521 - Disclosure - Income Taxes (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954522 - Disclosure - Related Party Transactions - Schedule of NRG's Material Related Party Transactions (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954523 - Disclosure - Commitments and Contingencies - Narrative (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954524 - Disclosure - Regulatory Matters (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink 9954525 - Disclosure - Environmental Matters (Details) link:presentationLink link:calculationLink link:definitionLink