Leading the future of energy

 

With electrification and AI growth, U.S. electricity demand is predicted to surge with ERCOT forecasting 53 GW and PJM forecasting 31 GW incremental growth by 2030.[1] Keeping up with this demand requires speed and execution, so we're expanding our business with more generation and more smart energy solutions to keep your business, home, and community connected and ready for what's ahead.

[1] First Quarter 2025 Earnings and Acquisition of a Premier Power Portfolio (Slide 29)

Energy leadership

Approximately
13 GW
owned net generation capacity
#1 in Texas
Leading company to serve competitive residential electric customers in Texas
Sold
154 TWhs
of electricity
Sold
1,833
MMDth
of natural gas

A flip of the switch

Operations Manager, Stephen Fontenot, highlights our commitment to keeping the lights on for millions across North America.

Watch the video

"It is clear we've entered a new era of power demand growth. Markets that once saw only modest growth or even declines are now experiencing significant and sustained increases. All indicators point to continued acceleration in the years ahead. This surge is being driven by large-scale industrial onshoring, oil and gas expansion, the electrification of transportation in the home and an unprecedented wave of data center development."

Robert Gaudette
Executive Vice President, President of NRG Business and Wholesale Operations

Expanding 1.5 GW of generation capacity in Texas

Starting in June 2024, NRG submitted the first of three loan applications* to the Texas Energy Fund (TEF) to develop the previously announced 1.5 GW of new quick-start natural gas power generation in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

443 MW quick-start natural gas peaking project at Greens Bayou

689 MW natural gas combined cycle unit at NRG's Cedar Bayou plant in Baytown, Texas

415 MW quick-start natural gas peaking project at Wharton

 

These three projects aim to expand NRG's operational capacity to meet growing retail power supply needs in Texas, as well as create economic and community benefits.

*Completion of these projects depends on timely loan approvals from the PUCT and tax abatements by local authorities.

"Expanding our natural gas generation portfolio with modern, flexible assets enhances our integrated platform as Texas experiences record electricity growth…"

Robert Gaudette
Executive Vice President, President of NRG Business and Wholesale Operations

 

A new energy and home experience

Imagine a future where your home evolves from something that has to be taken care of — to something taking care of you and your family. From a place to do — to a place to be.

As a longstanding partner for your home, we're excited about connecting energy with smart home solutions.  

By controlling the thermostat, lighting, appliances, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and other in-home devices from anywhere via a single app, our customers have greater control over their energy usage without sacrificing comfort or convenience.

Smart energy at our core

We are harnessing emerging technologies to meet the next generation of customer needs. Whether power is captured and managed at the residential or grid level, smart home technology and energy management are vital to powering modern life.

~33M

in-home devices

2M

smart home customers

5%

smart home customer growth YoY

98%

US zip code coverage

A win-win for consumers and the grid

Our team is re-imagining the way we serve customers and investing in technologies like Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) that will continue to drive us forward. We're working to dispatch homes and businesses as a power unit and provide instantaneous, flexible capacity to the electric grid.

VPPs leverage NRG's core strengths

  • Residential and commercial retail energy solutions
  • Commercial and market operational excellence
  • Smart home products
  • Demand response programs

 

At the residential level, a VPP is comprised of hundreds or thousands of households with available energy capacity through smart thermostats, electric vehicles (EVs), appliances, batteries, and rooftop solar with batteries. Instead of relying on a single, large power plant to generate electricity, a VPP uses advanced software to coordinate these smaller sources. This way, it can efficiently manage and distribute electricity to where it's needed, balancing supply and demand in real-time.

 

For commercial and industrial businesses, VPPs include programs like demand response, microgrid development, and real-time energy management.

 

VPP infographic - What is VPP? All Your Questions Answered | NRG Energy

 

VPPs are transforming homes and businesses from locations where we consume energy, to smart ecosystems where power is managed, optimized, and sometimes even generated.

 

So what? Essentially, VPPs have the dual benefit of potentially lowering energy costs for residential and business consumers and making the energy grid more reliable, flexible, and sustainable.

Partnering to build a 1 GW VPP in Texas

In 2024, NRG announced a partnership with Renew Home (a leading home energy and Virtual Power Plant (VPP) company) to develop a 1 GW AI-enabled VPP by 2035, supported by Google Cloud.

Fun fact: 1 GW of power is the equivalent of 100 million LED light bulbs.

 

 

Through this partnership, we aim to:

Expand our residential VPP capabilities

Create one of the largest and most connected VPPs in Texas

Enhance the resiliency of the Texas grid amid increasing demand



The "electrification of everything" is well underway, and we're taking a holistic approach to providing the power and solutions to help manage demand. From expanding our fleet through acquisition and new ventures in energy growth areas to a proposed acquisition in the Northeast and Texas, we're prepared to meet the moment. Plus, smart devices inside our customers' homes will allow companies like NRG (with the right technology and commercial capabilities) to incentivize better energy usage.