NRG Energy Refreshes Board to Strengthen Customer Focus

• New Directors Matthew Carter and Heather Cox Bring Fresh Perspectives
  and Additional Skills as NRG Makes Turn to More Customer-Focused
  Business
• Retiring Directors are Walt Young, Evan Silverstein and Barry
  Smitherman

PRINCETON, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) today announced changes to its Board of
Directors, including the immediate retirement of Walt Young, Evan
Silverstein and Barry Smitherman and the appointment of two new
independent directors: Matthew Carter and Heather Cox. Following these
changes, the Board size will be reduced to 12 directors.

“We are very pleased to welcome these two new independent directors to
the Board, at a time when NRG is evolving its business to a more
customer-focused approach. Their expertise and perspectives will serve
NRG well going forward. On behalf of the Board and the entire company, I
want to thank Walt, Evan and Barry for their dedicated leadership and
unwavering commitment to NRG during their tenure,” said Larry Coben, NRG
Board Chairman.

About the new directors:

Matthew Carter

Mr. Carter served as President and Chief Executive Officer and a
director of Inteliquent, Inc., a publicly-traded provider of voice
telecommunications services, from June 2015 until February 2017 when
Inteliquent, Inc. was acquired. He served as President of the Sprint
Enterprise Solutions business unit of Sprint Corporation, a
publicly-traded telecommunications company, from September 2013 until
January 2015 and, prior to that, as President, Sprint Global Wholesale &
Emerging Solutions at Sprint Nextel Corporation. Mr. Carter is also a
director of USG Corporation. He is a former director of Apollo Education
Group, Inc. and Inteliquent, Inc. and has significant marketing,
technology and operational experience in customer-focused businesses.

Heather Cox

Ms. Cox has most recently served as Executive Vice President, Chief
Technology & Digital Officer of United Services Automobile Association,
Inc.

from October 2016 to March 2018. In 2017, Ms. Cox was ranked no. 3 on
American Banker’s List of The Women to Watch. Ms. Cox served as Chief
Executive Officer, Head of Citi FinTech of Citigroup, Inc. from November
2015 to October 2016, and as Chief Client Experience, Digital and
Marketing Officer, Global Consumer Bank of Citigroup, Inc. from April
2014 to November 2015. Prior to that, Ms. Cox served at Capital One
Financial Corporation for six years, most recently as Executive Vice
President, US Card Operations, Capital One from August 2011 to August
2014. Ms. Cox also served in various managerial and executive roles at
E*Trade Financial for approximately ten years. Ms. Cox is able to
provide the Board with significant insight based on digital and
technology transformation, innovation, machine learning, artificial
intelligence, and data and analytics experience.

As part of its pivot to greater consumer focus for both large and small
customers, NRG continues on its three-year, three-part Transformation
Plan aimed at reducing costs, optimizing the company’s portfolio, and
improving its capital structure. According to retiring NRG Board member
Barry Smitherman, “As NRG evolves, this is an ideal time to refresh the
Board and underscores the confidence in management and Board of
Directors to guide the company through the execution of the
Transformation Plan and beyond.” Mr. Smitherman will continue his
involvement with NRG as a consultant to the company on a variety of
government and regulatory matters.

About NRG

NRG is the leading integrated power company in the U.S., built on the
strength of our diverse competitive electric generation portfolio and
leading retail electricity platform. A Fortune 500 company, NRG creates
value through best in class operations, reliable and efficient electric
generation, and a retail platform serving residential and commercial
businesses. Working with electricity customers, large and small, we
implement sustainable solutions for producing and managing energy,
developing smarter energy choices and delivering exceptional service as
our retail electricity providers serve almost three million residential
and commercial customers throughout the country. More information is
available at www.nrg.com.
Connect with NRG Energy on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @nrgenergy.

Contacts

NRG Energy
Media:
Marijke Shugrue, 609-524-5262
or
Investors:
Kevin
L. Cole, CFA, 609-524-4526
Lindsey Puchyr, 609-524-4527