NRG Energy

Honoree: Mid-size – Energy Industry

Company Overview

NRG Energy is an American power company, dual-headquartered in Houston, Texas and Princeton, New Jersey. NRG Energy is involved in power generation and retail electricity. Their portfolio includes nuclear, coal, wind, solar, and oil generation. NRG serves 3.7 million retail customers throughout North America. Their customer-focused mentality has led them to create technologies and tools that empower residents and organizations to think critically about their electricity, including where their power is coming from, what impact it has on the environment, and how they can become more conscious energy users.

Sustainable Business Strategy

NRG believes that by operating as a sustainable organization, they are positioning themselves to create long-term value for all their stakeholders. Sustainability is the glue that unites all of their stakeholders together for a common purpose, and their comprehensive five-pillar sustainability strategy goes beyond their operational carbon footprint, and extends into their supply chain, customers, employees and business goals. By operating their business at the highest standard, they are well-positioned to lead the way in redefining what power can be.

NRG aims to embed sustainability into the culture and fabric of their organization, and work to ensure this value becomes a core function of their company. That equates to reducing risk and ensuring continuity, all while continuing to enhance brand value and drive business results.

Environmental Stewardship

NRG believes its customers have been integral to their conservation efforts. For decades, the power sector’s mandate has been to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable power. Although all of those things are still important, today’s customers are expecting solutions that are cleaner, connected, and customizable. NRG’s ability to deliver on this societal need for cleaner, modern power makes sustainability good for both business and the environment.

Conservation Projects

Emissions Management

In 2014, NRG established goals to reduce their absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 50% by 2030 and 90% by 2050 from a 2014 baseline. These goals were set in addition to the reduction targets set in the Clean Power Plan and Paris Climate Agreement. In 2015, they became the first company in the power sector to earn the endorsement of the Science Based Targets initiative for having GHG emissions goals consistent with what was needed to limit global warming to 2˚ Celsius.

Through technology investments and other internal initiatives, they have already achieved a 37% reduction in GHG emissions compared to their carbon footprint in the 2014 baseline year. They have also helped customers avoid nearly 74 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions through the sale of carbon-free power.

As their industry continues to evolve and create actionable opportunities for their business, NRG has made significant progress, but their work to redefine power is just beginning. In 2019, they announced an update to the company’s science-based GHG emission reduction goals to align with prevailing climate science. The new GHG emission reduction goals advance their already ambitious timeline to achieve a 50% reduction by 2025, while deepening the company’s long-term overall commitment of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 from a 2014 baseline.

The new goals are based on the reductions necessary to limit global warming to 1.5˚ Celsius, which is the level the IPCC now believes is necessary to avoid the worst effects of climate change. NRG also recently joined leading companies in formally signing on to the UN’s Business Ambition to 1.5˚ Celsius, “Our Only Future” pledge.

ecoNRG

Through ecoNRG, NRG aims to promote ecological stewardship among power plant employees, with initiatives aimed at improving environmental awareness and education. NRG plant employees participated in 61 voluntary ecoNRG projects, and NRG power generation facilities donated more than $25,000 to benefit the environment. The company also provided $24,000 in scholarships to students expressing interest in environmental studies. ecoNRG has impacted natural resources through various routes, including invasive species removal, stocking native fish in local rivers, building osprey nesting platforms, supporting butterfly survey activities, bee rescue, tree planting, installing LED lighting and high-efficiency system upgrades, educational outreach to local schools, beach cleanups, chemical use reduction initiatives, single-use cup elimination, xeriscaping, and a water savings garden for the Boys and Girls Club.

positiveNRG

positiveNRG is NRG’s corporate philanthropy program. This program aims to enrich the communities they serve by supporting initiatives that address communities through education, human welfare, the environment, and health and wellness. This includes NRG’s corporate giving efforts and special projects, like their wetland restoration in Galveston Bay and nonprofit partnerships through Green Mountain Energy’s Sun Club. In 2018, 1,238 NRG employees volunteered 16,046 hours at 324 nonprofits, ultimately donating $3.1 million to charitable causes in 2018.

Building a Sustainable Future

NRG believes tackling the impacts of climate change and the decarbonization of the economy is transcending policy mandates as businesses and individuals are taking decisive action to control their own carbon footprints. Technological advances have been enabling new ways for consumers to interact with electricity, from real-time data to apps and smart appliances, ushering in an era of cleaner, smarter, and more connected energy.

As NRG continues to decarbonize the supply-side of their business through fleet optimization and the adoption of existing and forward-leaning technologies, they will serve their customers with innovative solutions that simplify the transition to clean energy.

Texan-Led Conservation

NRG chose Texas because the state’s diversity of population and industries make it attractive for the business community. The unique attributes of the Texas electricity market make the state especially attractive for their business.

NRG believes that by promoting regulatory certainty, customer choice, and competitive markets, Texas has become a proxy for the future of the power sector. Today, Texas enjoys some of the most modern and clean energy solutions in the country at some of the lowest costs to consumers.