NRG NRG Energy Inc

• Delivered strong 2016 Adjusted EBITDA, cash from operations and Free Cash Flow before Growth (FCFbG)
• Reaffirming 2017 Adjusted EBITDA, Cash From Operations and FCFbG guidance
• Corporate debt reduction and preferred stock redemption throughout 2016 under the current program totaled $1.0 billion; approximately $100 million1 of recurring FCFbG
• Exceeded the targeted $400 million in cost reductions by over $100 million, ahead of the anticipated 2017 time frame
• Executed agreements with NRG Yield to drop down 311 net MWs of utility-scale solar assets for total cash consideration of $130 million2 and expanded Right of First Offer (ROFO) pipeline by 234 net MW; raised another $128 million3 through non-recourse financing at Agua Caliente
• 2.2 GW of coal-to-gas conversions and Petra Nova Project completed on time and on budget
• Recorded $1.2 billion non-cash asset and goodwill impairment charge

NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) today reported full year 2016 net loss of $891 million, or $2.22 per diluted common share. The loss and resulting loss per share were driven by a $1.2 billion impairment of goodwill and fixed assets as forecasted gas and power prices continue to decline. Adjusted EBITDA for the full year 2016 was $3.3 billion, cash from operations was $2.1 billion and FCFbG was $1.2 billion. Additionally, NRG realized its second best safety year in company history with a full year top decile recordable rate of 0.624.

“Our business delivered a year of strong results, both EBITDA and Free Cash Flow, driven by Retail, which had a record 2016 adjusted EBITDA and its third consecutive year of EBITDA growth,” said Mauricio Gutierrez, NRG President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our focus on strategic priorities and strong execution in 2016 sets the foundation for 2017, allowing us to seize market opportunities while continuing to streamline the business, strengthen the balance sheet and deliver value to shareholders.”

   

Consolidated Financial Results

  Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended ($ in millions) 12/31/16   12/31/15 12/31/16   12/31/15 Net Loss $ (1,055 ) $ (6,358 ) $ (891 ) $ (6,436 ) Cash From Operations $ 339 $ (83 ) $ 2,072 $ 1,309 Adjusted EBITDAa $ 492 $ 582 $ 3,257 $ 3,166 Free Cash Flow Before Growth (FCFbG)   $ 78     $ (8 )   $ 1,209     $ 1,127   a.   For comparability, 2015 results have been restated to include the negative contribution from Residential Solar of $43 million and $173 million for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2015.  

Segment Results

As part of its streamlining strategy, NRG has realigned its reporting segments to more clearly report Generation and Retail activities. Accordingly, customer-facing businesses will now reside in the Retail segment. The Company's Retail segment will now include Business Solutions which includes Commercial & Industrial (C&I) previously in Generation, and the Generation segment now includes BETM. The results of the Company have been recast to reflect these changes.

   

Table 1: Net (Loss)/Income

  ($ in millions) Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended Segment 12/31/16   12/31/15 12/31/16   12/31/15 Generation $ (889 ) $ (4,690 ) $ (507 ) $ (4,446 ) Retail 316 161 1,045 624 Renewables a (204 ) (18 ) (306 ) (92 ) NRG Yield a (126 ) 12 (15 ) 65 Corporate b (152 ) (1,823 ) (1,108 ) (2,587 ) Net Loss c $ (1,055 ) $ (6,358 ) $ (891 ) $ (6,436 ) a.   In accordance with GAAP, 2015 results have been restated to include full impact of the assets in the NRG Yield Drop Down transactions which closed on November 3, 2015, and September 1, 2016. b. Includes Residential Solar. c. Includes mark-to-market gains and losses of economic hedges.  

The net loss for the twelve months of 2016 was driven by a $1.2 billion impairment of goodwill and fixed assets as forecasted gas and power prices continue to decline. The net loss for the twelve months of 2015 includes non-cash charges of $3.3 billion5 and $3.0 billion for asset impairments net of taxes and income tax valuation allowance expense, respectively.

   

Table 2: Adjusted EBITDA

  ($ in millions) Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended Segment 12/31/16   12/31/15 12/31/16   12/31/15 Generation a $ 160 $ 300 $ 1,505 $ 1,759 Retail 134 149 811 793 Renewables b 26 27 187 158 NRG Yield b 207 189 899 758 Corporate c (35 ) (83 ) (145 ) (302 ) Adjusted EBITDA d $ 492   $ 582   $ 3,257   $ 3,166   a.   See Appendices A-6 through A-9 for Generation regional Reg G results. b. In accordance with GAAP, 2015 results have been restated to include full impact of the assets in the NRG Yield Drop Down transactions which closed on November 3, 2015, and September 1, 2016. c. 2016 includes Residential Solar. 2015 results have been restated to include negative contribution of $43 million and $173 million for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2015, respectively. d. See Appendices A-1 through A-4 for Operating Segment Reg G results.  

Generation: Full year 2016 Adjusted EBITDA was $1.5 billion, $254 million lower than 2015 primarily driven by:

• Gulf Coast Region: $93 million decrease due to lower average realized energy margins in Texas from the decline in power prices, offset by lower operating costs.
• East Region: $365 million decrease from lower dispatch and capacity prices, partially offset by the monetization of forward hedges and lower operating costs on decreased run times, deactivations and plant sales.
• West Region: $122 million increase due to gains from sale of real property at Potrero site, emission credit sales and lower operating costs, partially offset by lower capacity revenues.
• Other Generation: $82 million increase driven by favorable trading results at BETM.

Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $160 million, $140 million lower than the fourth quarter 2015 primarily driven by:

• Gulf Coast Region: $22 million decrease due to lower realized energy margins in Texas.
• East Region: $128 million lower due to lower realized energy margins and lower capacity prices.
• West Region: $11 million increase due to higher capacity revenues and lower operating costs.

Retail: Full year 2016 Adjusted EBITDA was $811 million, $18 million higher than 2015 driven by lower costs, increased retail margins and favorable settlement of a Texas sales tax audit, partially offset by unfavorable impacts from selling back excess supply due to milder weather conditions in 2016 as compared to 2015 and lower volumes driven by lower average customer usage.

Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $134 million, $15 million lower than the fourth quarter 2015 due primarily to an increase in spend associated with customer growth initiatives.

Renewables: Full year 2016 Adjusted EBITDA was $187 million, $29 million higher than 2015 due mainly to increased generation at Ivanpah and Mountain Wind and lower operating expenses while fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $1 million higher than the prior year due primarily to increased generation at Ivanpah.

NRG Yield: Full year 2016 Adjusted EBITDA was $899 million, $141 million higher than 2015 due primarily to increased wind production from Renewables, full year contributions from the acquisitions of Desert Sunlight and Spring Canyon which closed in 2015, and a receipt of insurance proceeds from a 2014 wind outage claim.

Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $207 million, $18 million higher than the fourth quarter 2015 due primarily to increased production in the Renewables segment and a receipt of insurance proceeds from a 2014 wind outage claim.

Corporate: Full year 2016 Adjusted EBITDA was $(145) million, $157 million better than 2015 due to reduced operating expenses at Residential Solar and other expense reductions, also driving the fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA which was $48 million favorable to 2015.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Table 3: Corporate Liquidity

      ($ in millions) 12/31/16 12/31/15 Cash at NRG-Level a $ 570 $ 693 Revolver 1,217 1,373 NRG-Level Liquidity $ 1,787 $ 2,066 Restricted cash 446 414 Cash at Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries   1,403   825 Total Liquidity   $ 3,636   $ 3,305 a.   December 31, 2016, balance includes $247 million of unrestricted cash held at Midwest Generation (a non-guarantor subsidiary) which can be distributed to NRG without limitation.  

NRG-Level cash as of December 31, 2016, was $570 million, a decrease of $123 million from the end of 2015, and $1.2 billion was available under the Company’s credit facilities at the end of 2016. Total liquidity was $3.6 billion, including restricted cash and cash at non-guarantor subsidiaries (primarily GenOn and NRG Yield).

NRG Strategic Developments

Drop Down Assets and Expanded ROFO Pipeline

In December 2016, NRG offered NRG Yield the opportunity to purchase the following assets: (i) the Minnesota Portfolio, a 40 MW portfolio of wind projects; (ii) the 30 MW Community wind projects; (iii) the 50 MW Jeffers wind projects; and (iv) a 16% interest in the 290 MW Agua Caliente solar facility, pursuant to the ROFO Agreement. In addition to these ROFO Assets, NRG also offered NRG Yield the opportunity to purchase NRG's 50% interests in seven utility-scale solar projects located in Utah, representing 265 net MW of capacity6.

On February 24, 2017, NRG entered into a definitive agreement with NRG Yield to drop down the Agua Caliente and Utah utility-scale solar projects (311 net MW) for cash consideration of $130 million, plus assumed non-recourse project debt of approximately $464 million7, excluding working capital and other adjustments. Details of the projects, which are expected to close in the second quarter of 2017, include:

• A 16% interest (approximately 31% of NRG's 51% interest) in the Agua Caliente solar project, one of the ROFO Assets, representing ownership of approximately 46 net MW of capacity. Prior to the agreement, on February 17, 2017, NRG decreased its equity investment through an incremental $128 million non-recourse project-level note, after fees, all of which was distributed to NRG.
• NRG's 50% interest in seven utility-scale solar projects located in Utah representing 265 net MW of capacity. NRG acquired the Utah assets in November 2016 for upfront cash consideration of $111 million and subsequent to closing reduced the effective cash consideration paid to $63 million as a result of additional non-recourse project-level financings of $48 million8 during the fourth quarter of 2016.

NRG Yield elected not to pursue the acquisition of the Minnesota, Community and Jeffers wind projects at this time, but may continue its evaluation of the projects. NRG Yield has retained the right with NRG, pursuant to the ROFO Agreement, to participate in any third party process to the extent NRG elected to pursue a third party sale of these assets.

In connection with the execution of the definitive agreement, NRG and NRG Yield entered into an amendment to the ROFO Agreement to expand the ROFO Assets pipeline with the addition of 234 net MW of utility-scale solar projects. These assets include:

• Buckthorn Solar, a 154 net MW facility located in Texas with a 25-year PPA with City of Georgetown
• The Hawaii Solar projects, which have a combined capacity of 80 net MW with an average PPA of 22 years with the Hawaiian Electric Company9

Fleet Optimizations

NRG achieved a significant milestone in its fleet optimization strategy, completing coal-to-gas projects at three generation facilities across its fleet. The modified units can generate approximately 2.2 GW. The three plants include the Joliet Generating Station (three units converted by fourth quarter 2016 for a total of 1,326 MW), the Shawville Generating Station (all four units are currently in final commissioning following modification for a total of 597 MW) and the New Castle Generating Station, (all three units have been modified by second quarter 2016 for a total of 325 MW).

Over 2016, NRG continued to grow renewables development opportunities with acquisitions of 1.7GW of wind and solar assets. As of December 2016, NRG held 543 MW of backlog in execution across the utility wind and solar, community solar and DG solar businesses. Over the fourth quarter 2016, NRG accelerated utility project origination across CAISO, ERCOT and ISO-NE, growing the project pipeline to approximately 3.3 GW, a 25% increase over the previous quarter. NRG successfully transitioned 2.7 GW of the combined NRG and NYLD fleet (approximately 26 wind and 7 solar projects) to self-perform operations in 2016, including Alta and CVSR.

On December 29, 2016, NRG completed, on time and on budget, construction and final acceptance of performance testing at the Petra Nova project, the world's largest post-combustion carbon capture system. During performance testing, the facility captured more than 90% of CO2 from a 240 MW equivalent slipstream of flue gas off an existing coal-fueled electrical generating unit at the WA Parish power plant in Fort Bend County, southwest of Houston. At this level of operation, Petra Nova can capture more than 5,000 tons of CO2 per day, which is the equivalent of taking more than 350,000 cars off the road.

In 2016, NRG completed the installation of environmental control upgrades at its 638 MW Avon Lake Unit 9 facility (COD June 2016) and its 1,538 MW Powerton coal facility (COD December 2016).

2017 Guidance

NRG is reaffirming its guidance range for 2017 with respect to Adjusted EBITDA, cash from operations and FCFbG as set forth below.

 

Table 4: 2017 Adjusted EBITDA and FCF before Growth Guidance

  2017 ($ in millions) Guidance Adjusted EBITDAa $2,700 - $2,900 Cash From Operations $1,355 - $1,555 Free Cash Flow - before Growth $800 - $1,000 a.   Non-GAAP financial measure; see Appendix Table A-11 for GAAP Reconciliation to Net Income that excludes fair value adjustments related to derivatives. The Company is unable to provide guidance for Net Income due to the impact of such fair value adjustments related to derivatives in a given year.  

Capital Allocation Update

On January 24, 2017, NRG repriced the 2023 Term Loan Facility, reducing the interest rate margin by 50 basis points to LIBOR plus 2.25%. In 2016, NRG reduced corporate debt by $792 million10. Combined with the debt repurchases in 2015 and the extension of debt maturities at a lower average coupon rate, NRG has realized annual interest savings of approximately $87 million, plus an additional $10 million in dividend savings from the repurchase of 100% of its outstanding $345 million, 2.822% convertible perpetual preferred stock. NRG is also announcing $200 million of additional capital reserved for debt reduction bringing total 2017 allocation to discretionary debt reduction to $600 million.

On January 18, 2017, NRG declared a quarterly dividend on the Company's common stock of $0.03 per share, payable February 15, 2017, to stockholders of record as of February 1, 2017, representing $0.12 on an annualized basis.

The Company’s common stock dividend, corporate level debt reduction and share repurchases are subject to available capital, market conditions and compliance with associated laws and regulations.

Earnings Conference Call

On February 28, 2017, NRG will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern to discuss these results. Investors, the news media and others may access the live webcast of the conference call and accompanying presentation materials by logging on to NRG’s website at http://www.nrg.com and clicking on “Investors.” The webcast will be archived on the site for those unable to listen in real time.

About NRG

NRG is the leading integrated power company in the U.S., built on the strength of the nation’s largest and most diverse competitive electric generation portfolio and leading retail electricity platform. A Fortune 200 company, NRG creates value through best in class operations, reliable and efficient electric generation, and a retail platform serving residential and commercial customers. Working with electricity customers, large and small, we continually innovate, embrace and implement sustainable solutions for producing and managing energy. We aim to be pioneers in developing smarter energy choices and delivering exceptional service as our retail electricity providers serve almost 3 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.

Safe Harbor Disclosure

In addition to historical information, the information presented in this communication includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. These statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and can typically be identified by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “objective,” “projection,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “plan,” “think,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “predict,” “target,” “potential” or “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company’s future revenues, income, indebtedness, capital structure, plans, expectations, objectives, projected financial performance and/or business results and other future events, and views of economic and market conditions.

Although NRG believes that its expectations are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct, and actual results may vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated herein include, among others, general economic conditions, hazards customary in the power industry, weather conditions, including wind and solar performance, 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 regulations, the condition of capital markets generally, our ability to access capital markets, unanticipated outages at our generation facilities, adverse results in current and future litigation, failure to identify, execute or successfully implement acquisitions, repowerings or asset sales, our ability to implement value enhancing improvements to plant operations and companywide processes, our ability to proceed with projects under development or the inability to complete the construction of such projects on schedule or within budget, risks related to project siting, financing, construction, permitting, government approvals and the negotiation of project development agreements, our ability to progress development pipeline projects, GenOn’s ability to continue as a going concern, our ability to obtain federal loan guarantees, the inability to maintain or create successful partnering relationships, our ability to operate our businesses efficiently including NRG Yield, our ability to retain retail customers, our ability to realize value through our commercial operations strategy and the creation of NRG Yield, the ability to successfully integrate businesses of acquired companies, our ability to realize anticipated benefits of transactions (including expected cost savings and other synergies) or the risk that anticipated benefits may take longer to realize than expected, our ability to close the Drop Down transactions with NRG Yield, and our ability to execute our Capital Allocation Plan. Debt and share repurchases may be made from time to time subject to market conditions and other factors, including as permitted by United States securities laws. Furthermore, any common stock dividend is subject to available capital and market conditions.

NRG undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow guidance are estimates as of February 28, 2017. These estimates are based on assumptions the company believed to be reasonable as of that date. NRG disclaims any current intention to update such guidance, except as required by law. 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 Earnings press 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.

1 $100 million savings driven by reduction of debt since 3rd quarter of 2015, preferred stock redemption and extension of maturities at lower interest rates

2 Subject to working capital and other adjustments

3 Net of financing fees

4 Excludes Goal Zero, NRG Home Services and Residential Solar

5 Total impairments of $5.1 billion net of taxes of $1.8 billion

6 Reflects NRG's net interest based on cash to be distributed in tax equity partnership with Dominion

7 Approximately $328 million on balance sheet and $136 million pro-rata share of unconsolidated debt

8 Net of final construction costs and financing fees

9 61 of the 80 MWs have been contracted as of February 28, 2017

10 Cash cost of $874 million, including $120 million of debt extinguishment fees; Additional 2015 corporate debt reduction of $246 MM (cash cost of $226 MM) completed in 2015 bringing total debt reduction under program to $1 billion

  NRG ENERGY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES   CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS   For the Year Ended December 31,

(In millions, except per share amounts)

2016   2015   2014 Operating Revenues Total operating revenues $ 12,351   $ 14,674   $ 15,868   Operating Costs and Expenses Cost of operations 8,555 10,784 11,808 Depreciation and amortization 1,367 1,566 1,523 Impairment losses 918 5,030 97 Selling, general and administrative 1,101 1,199 1,016 Acquisition-related transaction and integration costs 8 10 84 Development costs 90   146   88   Total operating costs and expenses 12,039   18,735   14,616   Gain on sale of assets 215 — 19 Gain on postretirement benefits curtailment —   21   —   Operating Income/(Loss) 527   (4,040 ) 1,271   Other Income/(Expense) Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates 27 36 38 Impairment losses on investments (268 ) (56 ) — Other income, net 42 33 22 (Loss)/gain on sale of equity method investment — (14 ) 18 Net (loss)/gain on debt extinguishment (142 ) 75 (95 ) Interest expense (1,061 ) (1,128 ) (1,119 ) Total other expense (1,402 ) (1,054 ) (1,136 ) (Loss)/Income Before Income Taxes (875 ) (5,094 ) 135 Income tax expense 16     1,342     3   Net (Loss)/Income (891 ) (6,436 ) 132

Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable

noncontrolling interests

(117 ) (54 ) (2 ) Net (Loss)/Income Attributable to NRG Energy, Inc. (774 ) (6,382 ) 134 Dividends for preferred shares 5 20 56 Gain on redemption of preferred shares (78 ) —   —   (Loss)/Income Available for Common Stockholders $ (701 ) $ (6,402 ) $ 78   (Loss)/Earnings Per Share Attributable to NRG Energy, Inc. Common Stockholders Weighted average number of common shares outstanding — basic 316 329 334 Net (Loss)/Income per Weighted Average Common Share — Basic $ (2.22 ) $ (19.46 ) $ 0.23   Weighted average number of common shares outstanding — diluted 316 329 339 Net (Loss)/Income per Weighted Average Common Share — Diluted $ (2.22 ) $ (19.46 ) $ 0.23   Dividends Per Common Share $ 0.24   $ 0.58   $ 0.54       NRG ENERGY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES   CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS)/INCOME   For the Year Ended December 31, 2016   2015   2014 (In millions) Net (Loss)/Income $ (891 ) $ (6,436 ) $ 132 Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss), net of tax

Unrealized gain/(loss) on derivatives, net of income tax expense/(benefit)

of $1, $19, and $(21)

35 (15 ) (45 )

Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of income tax benefit of $0,

$0, and $5

(1 ) (11 ) (8 ) Available-for-sale securities, net of income tax benefit of $0, $3, and $2 1 17 (7 ) Defined benefit plan, net of income tax expense/(benefit) of $0, $69, and $(88) 3   10   (129 ) Other comprehensive income/(loss) 38   1   (189 ) Comprehensive Loss (853 ) (6,435 ) (57 )

Less: Comprehensive (loss)/income attributable to noncontrolling interests

and redeemable noncontrolling interests

(117 ) (73 ) 8   Comprehensive Loss Attributable to NRG Energy, Inc. (736 ) (6,362 ) (65 ) Dividends for preferred shares 5 20 56 Gain on redemption of preferred shares (78 ) —   —   Comprehensive Loss Available for Common Stockholders $ (663 ) $ (6,382 ) $ (121 )     NRG ENERGY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES   CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS   As of December 31, 2016   2015 (In millions) ASSETS Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,973 $ 1,518 Funds deposited by counterparties 2 106 Restricted cash 446 414 Accounts receivable — trade 1,166 1,157 Inventory 1,111 1,252 Derivative instruments 1,062 1,915 Cash collateral posted in support of energy risk management activities 203 568 Current assets held-for-sale 9 6 Prepayments and other current assets 423   455 Total current assets 6,395   7,391 Property, plant and equipment, net 17,912   18,732 Other Assets Equity investments in affiliates 1,120 1,045 Notes receivable, less current portion 17 53 Goodwill 662 999 Intangible assets, net 2,036 2,310 Nuclear decommissioning trust fund 610 561 Derivative instruments 189 305 Deferred income taxes 225 167 Non-current assets held-for-sale 10 105 Other non-current assets 1,179   1,214 Total other assets 6,048   6,759 Total Assets $ 30,355   $ 32,882     NRG ENERGY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES   CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Continued)   As of December 31, 2016   2015 (In millions, except share data) LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current Liabilities Current portion of long-term debt and capital leases $ 1,220 $ 481 Accounts payable 895 869 Derivative instruments 1,084 1,721 Cash collateral received in support of energy risk management activities 2 106 Accrued interest expense 220 242 Other accrued expenses 543 568 Current liabilities held-for-sale — 2 Other current liabilities 418   386   Total current liabilities 4,382   4,375   Other Liabilities Long-term debt and capital leases 18,006 18,983 Nuclear decommissioning reserve 287 326 Nuclear decommissioning trust liability 339 283 Postretirement and other benefit obligations 553 588 Deferred income taxes 20 19 Derivative instruments 294 493 Out-of-market contracts, net 1,040 1,146 Non-current liabilities held-for-sale 12 4 Other non-current liabilities 930   900   Total non-current liabilities 21,481   22,742   Total Liabilities 25,863   27,117  

2.822% convertible perpetual preferred stock; $0.01 par value; 250,000 shares

issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015

— 302 Redeemable noncontrolling interest in subsidiaries 46 29 Commitments and Contingencies Stockholders' Equity

Common stock; $0.01 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 417,583,825

and 416,939,950 shares issued; and 315,443,011 and 314,190,042 shares

outstanding at December 31, 2016 and 2015

4 4 Additional paid-in capital 8,358 8,296 Accumulated deficit (3,787 ) (3,007 )

Treasury stock, at cost; 102,140,814 and 102,749,908 shares at December 31,

2016 and 2015

(2,399 ) (2,413 ) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (135 ) (173 ) Noncontrolling interest 2,405   2,727   Total Stockholders' Equity 4,446   5,434   Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 30,355   $ 32,882       NRG ENERGY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS   For the Year Ended December 31, 2016   2015   2014 (In millions) Cash Flows from Operating Activities Net (loss)/income $ (891 ) $ (6,436 ) 132 Adjustments to reconcile net income/(loss) to net cash provided by operating activities: Equity in earnings and distribution of unconsolidated affiliates 54 37 49 Depreciation and amortization 1,367 1,566 1,523 Provision for bad debts 48 64 64 Amortization of nuclear fuel 49 45 46 Amortization of financing costs and debt discount/premiums 3 (11 ) (12 ) Adjustment to loss/(gain) on debt extinguishment 21 (75 ) 25 Amortization of intangibles and out-of-market contracts 91 81 64 Amortization of unearned equity compensation 10 41 42 Net (gain)/loss on sale of assets and equity method investments (224 ) 14 (4 ) Gain on post retirement benefits curtailment — (21 ) — Impairment losses 1,186 5,086 97 Changes in derivative instruments 23 233 (61 ) Changes in deferred income taxes and liability for uncertain tax benefits (43 ) 1,326 (154 ) Changes in collateral deposits in support of risk management activities 365 (381 ) 146 Proceeds from sale of emission allowances 47 — — Changes in nuclear decommissioning trust liability 41 (2 ) 19 Cash provided/(used) by changes in other working capital, net of acquisition and disposition effects: Accounts receivable - trade (12 ) 136 (2 ) Inventory 134 (26 ) (245 ) Prepayments and other current assets (39 ) 8 36 Accounts payable (27 ) (218 ) (12 ) Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (39 ) (9 ) (26 ) Other assets and liabilities (92 ) (149 ) (217 ) Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities 2,072   1,309   1,510   Cash Flows from Investing Activities Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired (209 ) (31 ) (2,936 ) Capital expenditures (1,244 ) (1,283 ) (909 ) (Increase)/decrease in restricted cash, net (29 ) 8 57 (Increase)/decrease in restricted cash to support equity requirements for U.S. DOE funded projects (3 ) 35 (206 ) Net cash proceeds from notes receivable 17 18 25 Proceeds from renewable energy grants 36 82 916 Purchases of emission allowances, net of proceeds (1 ) 41 (16 ) Investments in nuclear decommissioning trust fund securities (551 ) (629 ) (619 ) Proceeds from sales of nuclear decommissioning trust fund securities 510 631 600 Proceeds from sale of assets, net 636 27 203 Investments in unconsolidated affiliates (34 ) (395 ) (103 ) Other 48   11   85   Net Cash Used by Investing Activities (824 ) (1,485 ) (2,903 ) Cash Flows from Financing Activities Payments of dividends to preferred and common stockholders (76 ) (201 ) (196 ) Net receipts from settlement of acquired derivatives that include financing elements 151 196 9 Payments for treasury stock — (437 ) (39 ) Payments for preferred shares (226 ) — — Distributions from, net of contributions to, noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries (156 ) 47 189 Proceeds from sale of noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries — 600 630 Proceeds from issuance of common stock 1 1 21 Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 5,527 1,004 4,563 Payments of debt issuance and hedging costs (89 ) (21 ) (67 ) Payments for short and long-term debt (5,913 ) (1,599 ) (3,827 ) Other (13 ) (22 ) (18 ) Net Cash (Used)/Provided by Financing Activities (794 ) (432 ) 1,265 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 1   10   (10 ) Net Increase/(Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents 455 (598 ) (138 ) Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period 1,518   2,116   2,254   Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period $ 1,973   $ 1,518   $ 2,116    

Appendix Table A-1: Fourth Quarter 2016 Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation by Operating SegmentThe following table summarizes the calculation of Adj. EBITDA and provides a reconciliation to net (loss)/income:

($ in millions) Generation   Retail   Renewables   NRG Yield   Corp/Elim   Total Net (loss)/income (889 )   316     (204 )   (126 )   (152 )   (1,055 ) Plus:           Interest expense, net 9 — 22 61 124 216 Income tax 1 — (6 ) (26 ) (48 ) (79 ) Loss on debt extinguishment — — — — 23 23 Depreciation and amortization 224 28 47 73 16 388 ARO expense 13 — 1 1 1 16 Amortization of contracts (4 ) 1 — 17 — 14 Amortization of leases (12 )   —     —     —     —     (12 ) EBITDA (658 ) 345 (140 ) — (36 ) (489 ) Adjustment to reflect NRG share of adjusted EBITDA in unconsolidated affiliates 6 — 23 21 (36 ) 14 Reorganization costs — — — — 3 3 Deactivation costs 4 — — — 1 5 Other non recurring charges 1 2 1 3 (1 ) 6 Impairment losses 561 1 30 183 20 795 Impairment losses on investments — — 106 — 15 121 Mark-to-market (MtM) losses/(gains) on economic hedges 246     (214 )   6     —     (1 )   37   Adjusted EBITDA 160     134     26     207     (35 )   492  

Fourth Quarter 2016 condensed financial information by Operating Segment:

($ in millions) Generation   Retail   Renewables   NRG Yield   Corp/Elim   Total Operating revenues 1,304   1,417   88   249   (239 )   2,819 Cost of sales 593     1,053     11     13     (238 )   1,432   Economic gross margin 711 364 77 236 (1 ) 1,387 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operationsa 450 91 30 70 (28 ) 613 Selling, marketing, general and administrativeb 100 135 17 6 38 296 Development costs 5 2 15 — 1 23 Other (income)/expense (4 )   2     (11 )   (47 )   23     (37 ) Adjusted EBITDA 160     134     26     207     (35 )   492     a.   Excludes deactivation costs of $5 million, ARO expense of $16 million and lease amortization of $12 million. b. Excludes reorganization costs of $3 million.

The following table reconciles the condensed financial information to Adjusted EBITDA:

  Condensed  

 

        financial

Interest, tax,

 

Adjusted ($ in millions)   information  

depr., amort.

  MtM   Deactivation  

Other adj.

  EBITDA Operating revenues 2,532 14 273 — — 2,819 Cost of operations   1,195     1     236     —     —     1,432   Gross margin 1,337 13 37 — — 1,387 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations 622 (4 ) — (5 ) — 613 Selling, marketing, general & administrative a 299 — — — (3 ) 296 Development costs 23 — — — — 23 Other expense/(income) b   1,448     (161 )   —     —     (1,324 )   (37 ) Net loss   (1,055 )   178     37     5     1,327     492     a.   Other adj. includes reorganization costs of $3 million. b. Other adj. includes impairments.  

Appendix Table A-2: Fourth Quarter 2015 Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation by Operating SegmentThe following table summarizes the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA and provides a reconciliation to net (loss)/income:

($ in millions)   Generation   Retail   Renewables   NRG Yield   Corp/Elim   Total Net (loss)/income   (4,690 )   161     (18 )   12     (1,823 )   (6,358 ) Plus:             Interest expense, net 17 — 19 63 171 270 Income tax (3 ) — (5 ) 4 1,389 1,385 Loss on debt extinguishment — — — — (84 ) (84 ) Depreciation and amortization 223 33 46 75 16 393 ARO expense 7 — — — 1 8 Amortization of contracts (4 ) 2 — 14 — 12 Amortization of leases   (12 )   —     —     —     —     (12 ) EBITDA (4,462 ) 196 42 168 (330 ) (4,386 ) Adjustment to reflect NRG share of adjusted EBITDA in unconsolidated affiliates 4 — (32 ) 15 38 25 Acquisition-related transaction & integration costs — — — — 2 2 Reorganization costs 3 3 6 — 6 18 Deactivation costs 3 — — — — 3 Other non recurring charges 4 (1 ) 2 3 5 13 Impairment losses 4,605 — 8 — 154 4,767 Impairment losses on investments 14 — — — 42 56 MtM losses/(gains) on economic hedges   129     (49 )   1     3     —     84   Adjusted EBITDA   300     149     27     189     (83 )   582  

Fourth Quarter 2015 condensed financial information by Operating Segment:

($ in millions)   Generation   Retail   Renewables   NRG Yield   Corp/Elim   Total Operating revenues   1,538   1,423   89   241   (189 )   3,102 Cost of sales   670     1,064     10     13     (193 )   1,564   Economic gross margin 868 359 79 228 4 1,538 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations a 483 95 3 77 7 665 Selling, marketing, general & administrative b 93 127 10 3 70 303 Development costs 6 — 17 — 14 37 Other expense/(income) c   (14 )   (12 )   22     (41 )   (4 )   (49 ) Adjusted EBITDA   300     149     27     189     (83 )   582     a.   Excludes deactivation costs of $3 million, ARO expense of $8 million and lease amortization of $12 million. b. Excludes reorganization costs of $18 million. c. Excludes acquisition-related transaction & integration costs of $2 million.  

The following table reconciles the condensed financial information to Adjusted EBITDA:

  Condensed  

 

        financial

Interest, tax,

 

Adjusted ($ in millions)   information  

depr., amort.

  MtM   Deactivation  

Other adj.

  EBITDA Operating revenues 3,011 12 79 — — 3,102 Cost of operations   1,569     —     (5 )   —     —     1,564   Gross margin 1,442 12 84 — — 1,538 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations 664 4 — (3 ) — 665 Selling, marketing, general & administrative a 321 — — — (18 ) 303 Development costs 37 — — — — 37 Other expense/(income) b   6,778     (436 )   —     —     (6,391 )   (49 ) Net loss   (6,358 )   444     84     3     6,409     582     a.   Other adj. includes reorganization costs of $18 million. b. Other adj. includes impairments and acquisition-related transaction & integration costs.  

Appendix Table A-3: Full Year 2016 Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation by Operating SegmentThe following table summarizes the calculation of Adj. EBITDA and provides a reconciliation to net (loss)/income:

($ in millions)   Generation   Retail   Renewables   NRG Yield   Corp/Elim   Total Net (loss)/income   (507 )   1,045     (306 )   (15 )   (1,108 )   (891 ) Plus:             Interest expense, net 65 — 107 273 601 1,046 Income tax (1 ) 1 (20 ) (1 ) 37 16 Loss on debt extinguishment — — — — 142 142 Depreciation and amortization 702 115 190 297 63 1,367 ARO expense 35 — 2 3 2 42 Amortization of contracts (18 ) 7 1 74 (4 ) 60 Amortization of leases   (49 )   —     —     —     —     (49 ) EBITDA 227 1,168 (26 ) 631 (267 ) 1,733 Adjustment to reflect NRG share of adjusted EBITDA in unconsolidated affiliates 30 — 42 79 (45 ) 106 Acquisition-related transaction & integration costs — — — — 7 7 Reorganization costs — 5 3 — 21 29 Deactivation costs 19 — — — 2 21 (Gain)/loss on sale of business (223 ) — — — 79 (144 ) Other non recurring charges 21 1 1 6 5 34 Impairment losses 645 1 56 183 33 918 Impairment losses on investments 142 — 105 — 21 268 Mark-to-market (MtM) losses/(gains) on economic hedges   644     (364 )   6     —     (1 )   285   Adjusted EBITDA   1,505     811     187     899     (145 )   3,257  

Full Year 2016 condensed financial information by Operating Segment:

($ in millions)   Generation   Retail   Renewables   NRG Yield   Corp/Elim   Total Operating revenues   6,451   6,338   424   1,089   (1,031 )   13,271 Cost of sales   2,835     4,688     14     61     (1,034 )   6,564   Economic gross margin 3,616 1,650 410 1,028 3 6,707 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations a 1,856 341 139 236 (20 ) 2,552 Selling, marketing, general & administrative b 372 492 57 16 135 1,072 Development costs 21 4 40 — 21 86 Other (income)/expense c   (138 )   2     (13 )   (123 )   12     (260 ) Adjusted EBITDA   1,505     811     187     899     (145 )   3,257     a.   Excludes deactivation costs of $21 million, ARO expense of $42 million and lease amortization of $49 million. b. Excludes reorganization costs of $29 million. c. Excludes acquisition-related transaction & integration costs of $7 million.  

The following table reconciles the condensed financial information to Adjusted EBITDA:

  Condensed  

 

        financial

Interest, tax,

 

Adjusted ($ in millions)   information  

depr., amort.

  MtM   Deactivation  

Other adj.

  EBITDA Operating revenues 12,351 55 865 — — 13,271 Cost of operations   5,989     (5 )   580     —     —     6,564   Gross margin 6,362 60 285 — — 6,707 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations 2,566 7 — (21 ) — 2,552 Selling, marketing, general & administrative a 1,101 — — — (29 ) 1,072 Development costs 90 — — — (4 ) 86 Other expense/(income) b   3,496     (1,205 )   —     —     (2,551 )   (260 ) Net loss   (891 )   1,258     285     21     2,584     3,257     a.   Other adj. includes reorganization costs of $29 million. b. Other adj. includes impairments, gain/(loss) on sale of business and acquisition-related transaction & integration costs.  

Appendix Table A-4: Full Year 2015 Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation by Operating SegmentThe following table summarizes the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA and provides a reconciliation to net (loss)/income:

($ in millions)   Generation   Retail   Renewables   NRG Yield   Corp/Elim   Total Net (loss)/income   (4,446 )   624     (92 )   65     (2,587 )   (6,436 ) Plus:             Interest expense, net 68 1 80 262 704 1,115 Income tax — 1 (18 ) 12 1,347 1,342 Loss/(gain) on debt extinguishment — — — 9 (84 ) (75 ) Depreciation and amortization 896 133 181 297 59 1,566 ARO expense 32 — — 2 1 35 Amortization of contracts (10 ) 6 1 54 — 51 Amortization of leases   (50 )   —     —     —     —     (50 ) EBITDA (3,510 ) 765 152 701 (560 ) (2,452 ) Adjustment to reflect NRG share of adjusted EBITDA in unconsolidated affiliates 27 — (20 ) 49 34 90 Acquisition-related transaction & integration costs — 1 — 3 6 10 Reorganization costs 3 3 6 — 6 18 Deactivation costs 11 — — — — 11 Gain on sale of business — — (3 ) — — (3 ) Other non recurring charges 20 (12 ) 7 3 16 34 Impairment losses 4,827 36 13 — 154 5,030 Impairment losses on investments 14 — — — 42 56 MtM losses on economic hedges   367     —     3     2     —     372   Adjusted EBITDA   1,759     793     158     758     (302 )   3,166  

Full Year 2015 condensed financial information by Operating Segment:

($ in millions)   Generation   Retail   Renewables   NRG Yield   Corp/Elim   Total Operating revenues   7,785   6,910   396   1,009   (1,142 )   14,958 Cost of sales   3,649     5,244     16     71     (1,134 )   7,846   Economic gross margin 4,136 1,666 380 938 (8 ) 7,112 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations a 2,058 366 115 248 16 2,803 Selling, marketing, general & administrative b 390 491 47 12 241 1,181 Development costs 20 4 61 — 61 146 Other (income)/expense c   (91 )   12     (1 )   (80 )   (24 )   (184 ) Adjusted EBITDA   1,759     793     158     758     (302 )   3,166     a.   Excludes deactivation costs of $11 million, ARO expense of $35 million and lease amortization of $50 million. b. Excludes reorganization costs of $18 million. c. Excludes acquisition-related transaction & integration costs of $10 million.  

The following table reconciles the condensed financial information to Adjusted EBITDA:

  Condensed  

 

        financial

Interest, tax,

 

Adjusted ($ in millions) information

depr., amort.

MtM Deactivation

Other adj.

EBITDA Operating revenues 14,674 40 244 — — 14,958 Cost of operations 7,985   (11 ) (128 ) —   —   7,846   Gross margin 6,689 51 372 — — 7,112 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations 2,799 15 — (11 ) — 2,803 Selling, marketing, general & administrative 1,199 — — — (18 ) 1,181 Development costs 146 — — — — 146 Other expense/(income) a 8,981   (2,382 ) —   —   (6,783 ) (184 ) Net loss (6,436 ) 2,418   372   11   6,801   3,166     a.   Other adj. includes impairments and acquisition-related transaction & integration costs.  

Appendix Table A-5: 2016 and 2015 Three Months Ended December 31 and Full Year Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations ReconciliationsThe following table summarizes the calculation of adjusted cash flow operating activities providing a reconciliation to net cash provided by operating activities:

  Three Months Ended ($ in millions)   December 31, 2016   December 31, 2015 Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities 339   (83 ) Reclassifying of net receipts for settlement of acquired derivatives that include financing elements 22 58 Sale of Potrero Land — — Merger, integration and cost-to-achieve expenses a (7 ) 3 Return of capital from equity investments 11 38 Adjustment for change in collateral   (134 )   201   Adjusted Cash Flow from Operating Activities   231     217   Maintenance CapEx, net b (58 ) (99 ) Environmental CapEx, net (48 ) (80 ) Preferred dividends — (3 ) Distributions to non-controlling interests   (47 )   (43 ) Free Cash Flow - before Growth   78     (8 )   a.   Cost-to-achieve expenses associated with the $150 million savings announced on September 2015 call. b. Includes insurance proceeds of $4 million in 2016; excludes merger and integration capex of $2 million in 2015.     Twelve Months Ended ($ in millions)   December 31, 2016   December 31, 2015 Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities 2,072   1,309 Reclassifying of net receipts for settlement of acquired derivatives that include financing elements 151 196 Sale of Potrero Land 74 — Merger, integration and cost-to-achieve expenses a 40 21 Return of capital from equity investments 17 38 Adjustment for change in collateral   (365 )   381   Adjusted Cash Flow from Operating Activities   1,989     1,945   Maintenance CapEx, net b (330 ) (413 ) Environmental CapEx, net (285 ) (237 ) Preferred dividends (2 ) (10 ) Distributions to non-controlling interests   (163 )   (158 ) Free Cash Flow - before Growth   1,209     1,127     a.   Cost-to-achieve expenses associated with the $150 million savings announced on September 2015 call. b. Includes insurance proceeds of $37 million in 2016; excludes merger and integration capex of $11 million in 2015.  

Appendix Table A-6: Fourth Quarter 2016 Regional Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation for GenerationThe following table summarizes the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA and provides a reconciliation to net loss:

($ in millions)   East   Gulf Coast   West   Other   Total Net loss   (123 )   (662 )   (92 )   (12 )   (889 ) Plus:           Interest expense, net 9 — — — 9 Income tax — — — 1 1 Depreciation and amortization 56 157 11 — 224 ARO expense 2 3 8 — 13 Amortization of contracts (5 ) 2 (1 ) — (4 ) Amortization of leases   (11 )   (1 )   —     —     (12 ) EBITDA (72 ) (501 ) (74 ) (11 ) (658 ) Adjustment to reflect NRG share of adjusted EBITDA in unconsolidated affiliates — (2 ) 4 4 6 Deactivation costs 3 — 1 — 4 Other non recurring charges 3 1 (1 ) (2 ) 1 Impairment losses 118 358 85 — 561 Mark-to-market (MtM) losses on economic hedges   5     236     5     —     246   Adjusted EBITDA   57     92     20     (9 )   160  

Fourth Quarter 2016 condensed financial information for Generation:

($ in millions)   East   Gulf Coast   West   Other   Elims.   Total Operating revenues   579   616   100   (9 )   18   1,304 Cost of sales   230     304     38     —     21     593   Economic gross margin 349 312 62 (9 ) (3 ) 711 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operationsa 249 185 32 (1 ) (15 ) 450 Selling, marketing, general & administrative 50 37 7 6 — 100 Development costs 1 1 3 — — 5 Other (income)/expense   (8 )   (3 )   —     (5 )   12     (4 ) Adjusted EBITDA   57     92     20     (9 )   —     160     a.   Excludes deactivation costs of $4 million, ARO expense of $13 million and lease amortization of $12 million.  

The following table reconciles the condensed financial information to Adjusted EBITDA:

  Condensed  

 

        financial

Interest, tax,

 

Adjusted ($ in millions)   information  

depr., amort.

  MtM   Deactivation  

Other adj.

  EBITDA Operating revenues 1,064 (4 ) 244 — — 1,304 Cost of operations   593     2     (2 )   —     —     593   Gross margin 471 (6 ) 246 — — 711 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations 455 (1 ) — (4 ) — 450 Selling, marketing, general & administrative 100 — — — — 100 Development costs 5 — — — — 5 Other expense/(income) a   800     (12 )   —     —     (792 )   (4 ) Net loss   (889 )   7     246     4     792     160     a.   Other adj. includes impairments.  

Appendix Table A-7: Fourth Quarter 2015 Regional Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation for GenerationThe following table summarizes the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA and provides a reconciliation to net loss:

($ in millions)   East   Gulf Coast   West   Other   Total Net loss   (164 )   (4,488 )   (25 )   (13 )   (4,690 ) Plus:           Interest expense, net 16 — — 1 17 Income tax — — — (3 ) (3 ) Depreciation and amortization 92 119 11 1 223 ARO expense 4 1 2 — 7 Amortization of contracts (6 ) — 2 — (4 ) Amortization of leases   (12 )   (1 )   —     1     (12 ) EBITDA (70 ) (4,369 ) (10 ) (13 ) (4,462 ) Adjustment to reflect NRG share of adjusted EBITDA in unconsolidated affiliates — (1 ) 2 3 4 Reorganization costs — 3 — — 3 Deactivation costs 3 — — — 3 Other non recurring charges 15 (19 ) 6 2 4 Impairment losses 214 4,383 8 — 4,605 Impairment losses on investments — 14 — — 14 MtM losses on economic hedges   23     103     3     —     129   Adjusted EBITDA   185     114     9     (8 )   300  

Fourth Quarter 2015 condensed financial information for Generation:

($ in millions)   East   Gulf Coast   West   Other   Elims.   Total Operating revenues   773   668   109   (8 )   (4 )   1,538 Cost of sales   290     330     50     —     —     670   Economic gross margin 483 338 59 (8 ) (4 ) 868 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operationsa 263 197 38 (1 ) (14 ) 483

Selling, marketing, general & administrativeb

29 33 14 17 — 93 Development costs 2 1 3 — — 6 Other expense/(income)   4     (7 )   (5 )   (16 )   10     (14 ) Adjusted EBITDA   185     114     9     (8 )   —     300     a.   Excludes deactivation costs of $3 million. ARO expense of $7 million and lease amortization of $12 million. b. Excludes reorganization costs of $3 million.  

The following table reconciles the condensed financial information to Adjusted EBITDA:

  Condensed  

 

        financial

Interest, tax,

 

Adjusted ($ in millions)   information  

depr., amort.

  MtM   Deactivation  

Other adj.

  EBITDA Operating revenues 1,404 (3 ) 137 — — 1,538 Cost of operations   661     (1 )   10     —     —     670   Gross margin 743 (2 ) 127 — — 868 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations 481 5 — (3 ) — 483 Selling, marketing, general & administrative a 96 — — — (3 ) 93 Development costs 6 — — — — 6 Other expense/(income) b   4,850     (12 )   —     —     (4,852 )   (14 ) Net loss   (4,690 )   5     127     3     4,855     300     a.   Other adj. includes reorganization costs of $3 million. b. Other adj. includes impairments.  

Appendix Table A-8: Full Year 2016 Regional Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation for GenerationThe following table summarizes the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA and provides a reconciliation to net income/(loss)

($ in millions)   East   Gulf Coast   West   Other   Total Net income/(loss)   373     (911 )   (19 )   50     (507 ) Plus:           Interest expense, net 65 1 — (1 ) 65 Income tax — (2 ) — 1 (1 ) Depreciation and amortization 212 432 57 1 702 ARO expense 7 11 17 — 35 Amortization of contracts (22 ) 6 (4 ) 2 (18 ) Amortization of leases   (47 )   (2 )   —     —     (49 ) EBITDA 588 (465 ) 51 53 227 Adjustment to reflect NRG share of adjusted EBITDA in unconsolidated affiliates — 3 11 16 30 Deactivation costs 18 — 1 — 19 Gain on sale of assets (217 ) — (6 ) — (223 ) Other non recurring charges 7 16 (1 ) (1 ) 21 Impairments 135 367 143 — 645 Impairment losses on investments — 142 — — 142 Mark-to-market (MtM) losses on economic hedges   180     444     20     —     644   Adjusted EBITDA   711     507     219     68     1,505  

Full Year 2016 condensed financial information for Generation:

($ in millions)   East   Gulf Coast   West   Other   Elims.   Total Operating revenues   3,241   2,705   458   62   (15 )   6,451 Cost of sales   1,300     1,386     149     —     —     2,835   Economic gross margin 1,941 1,319 309 62 (15 ) 3,616 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations a 1,048 684 138 1 (15 ) 1,856 Selling, marketing, general & administrative 183 135 31 23 — 372 Development costs 4 3 14 — — 21 Other (income)/expense   (5 )   (10 )   (93 )   (30 )   —     (138 ) Adjusted EBITDA   711     507     219     68     —     1,505     a.   Excludes deactivation costs of $19 million, ARO expense of $35 million and lease amortization of $49 million.

The following table reconciles the condensed financial information to Adjusted EBITDA:

  Condensed  

 

        financial

Interest, tax,

 

Adjusted ($ in millions)   information  

depr., amort.

  MtM   Deactivation  

Other adj.

  EBITDA Operating revenues 5,679 (15 ) 787 — — 6,451 Cost of operations   2,689     3     143     —     —     2,835   Gross Margin 2,990 (18 ) 644 — — 3,616 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations 1,861 14 — (19 ) — 1,856 Selling, marketing, general & administrative 372 — — — — 372 Development costs 22 — — — (1 ) 21 Other expense/(income) a   1,242     (64 )   —     —     (1,316 )   (138 ) Net loss   (507 )   32     644     19     1,317     1,505     a.   Other adj. includes impairments.  

Appendix Table A-9: Full Year 2015 Regional Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation for GenerationThe following table summarizes the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA and provides a reconciliation to net income/(loss)

($ in millions) East Gulf Coast West Other Total Net income/(loss) 17   (4,439 ) 5   (29 ) (4,446 ) Plus: Interest expense, net 68 — 1 (1 ) 68 Depreciation and amortization 299 546 51 — 896 ARO expense 14 6 12 — 32 Amortization of contracts (19 ) 5 2 2 (10 ) Amortization of leases (47 ) (3 ) —   —   (50 ) EBITDA 332 (3,885 ) 71 (28 ) (3,510 ) Adjustment to reflect NRG share of adjusted EBITDA in unconsolidated affiliates — 3 8 16 27 Reorganization costs — 3 — — 3 Deactivation costs 8 — 3 — 11 Other non recurring charges 24 (1 ) (1 ) (2 ) 20 Impairment losses 436 4,383 8 — 4,827 Impairment losses on investments — 14 — — 14 MtM losses on economic hedges 276   83   8   —   367   Adjusted EBITDA 1,076   600   97   (14 ) 1,759  

Full Year 2015 condensed financial information for Generation:

($ in millions) East Gulf Coast West Other Elims. Total Operating revenues 4,291 3,054 475 (21 ) (14 ) 7,785 Cost of sales 1,891   1,566   192   —   —   3,649   Economic gross margin 2,400 1,488 283 (21 ) (14 ) 4,136 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations a 1,162 756 153 1 (14 ) 2,058 Selling, marketing, general & administrative b 170 147 44 29 — 390 Development costs 3 9 8 — — 20 Other (income)/expense (11 ) (24 ) (19 ) (37 ) —   (91 ) Adjusted EBITDA 1,076   600   97   (14 ) —   1,759     a.   Excludes deactivation costs of $11 million, ARO expense of $32 million and lease amortization of $50 million. b. Excludes reorganization cost of $3 million.  

The following table reconciles the condensed financial information to Adjusted EBITDA:

  Condensed  

 

        financial

Interest, tax,

 

Adjusted ($ in millions)   information  

depr., amort.

  MtM   Deactivation  

Other adj.

  EBITDA Operating revenues 7,546 (15 ) 254 — — 7,785 Cost of operations   3,767     (5 )   (113 )   —     —     3,649   Gross margin 3,779 (10 ) 367 — — 4,136 Operations & maintenance and other cost of operations 2,051 18 — (11 ) — 2,058 Selling, marketing, general & administrative 393 — — — (3 ) 390 Development costs 20 — — — — 20 Other expense/(income) a   5,761     (68 )   —     —     (5,784 )   (91 ) Net loss   (4,446 )   40     367     11     5,787     1,759     a.   Other adj. includes impairments and acquisition-related transaction & integration costs.  

Appendix Table A-10: Full Year 2016 Sources and Uses of LiquidityThe following table summarizes the sources and uses of liquidity for the full year 2016:

  Twelve Months Ended ($ in millions)   December 31, 2016 Sources: Adjusted cash flow from operations 1,989 Asset sales 562 Issuance of NRG Yield Senior Notes due 2026 350 Monetization of capacity revenues at Midwest Gen, net of payments 253 Collateral 365 Issuance of CVSR HoldCo debt 200 Issuance of NYLD 3.55% Series D notes (NRG Energy Center Minneapolis) 125 Capistrano debt proceeds, net of debt repayment 108 Tax Equity Proceeds   11   Uses: Debt repayments, net of proceeds (corporate-level) (774 ) Maintenance and environmental capex, net a (615 ) Growth investments and acquisitions, net (564 ) Debt repayments, non-discretionary (399 ) Proceeds from NRG Yield revolver, net of payments (306 ) Redemption of convertible preferred stock (226 ) Distributions to non-controlling interests (163 ) Decrease in credit facility availability (156 ) Capistrano distribution of debt proceeds to non-controlling interests (87 ) Debt Issuance Costs (89 ) Debt Repayment, Peaker Finco (76 ) Common and Preferred Stock Dividends (76 ) Merger, integration and cost-to-achieve expenses b (40 ) Other Investing and Financing   (61 ) Change in Total Liquidity   331     a.   Includes insurance proceeds of $37 million. b. Cost-to-achieve expenses associated with the $150 million savings announced on September 2015 call.  

Appendix Table A-11: 2017 Adjusted EBITDA Guidance ReconciliationThe following table summarizes the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA providing reconciliation to net income:

  2017 Adjusted EBITDA ($ in millions) Low   High GAAP Net Income a 60 260 Income Tax 80 80 Interest Expense & Debt Extinguishment Costs 1,155 1,155 Depreciation, Amortization, Contract Amortization and ARO Expense 1,235 1,235 Adjustment to reflect NRG share of adjusted EBITDA in unconsolidated affiliates 110 110 Other Costs b 60 60 Adjusted EBITDA 2,700 2,900   a.   For purposes of guidance, fair value adjustments related to derivatives are assumed to be zero. b. Includes deactivation costs, gain on sale of businesses, reorganization costs, asset write-offs, impairments and other non-recurring charges  

Appendix Table A-12: 2017 FCFbG Guidance ReconciliationThe following table summarizes the calculation of Free Cash Flow before Growth providing reconciliation to Cash from Operations:

   

 

2017 ($ in millions) Guidance Adjusted EBITDA $2,700 - $2,900 Cash Interest payments (1,065) Debt Extinguishment Cash Cost 0 Cash Income tax (40) Collateral / working capital / other (240) Cash From Operations $1,355 - $1,555

 

Adjustments: Acquired Derivatives, Cost-to-Achieve, Return of Capital

Dividends, Collateral and Other 0 Adjusted Cash flow from operations $1,355 - $1,555 Maintenance capital expenditures, net (310) - (340) Environmental capital expenditures, net (10) - (30) Preferred dividends 0 Distributions to non-controlling interests (185) - (205) Free Cash Flow - before Growth $800 - $1,000  

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures. These measurements are not recognized in accordance with GAAP and should not be viewed as an alternative to GAAP measures of performance. The presentation of Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an inference that NRG’s future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items.

EBITDA represents net income before interest (including loss on debt extinguishment), taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is presented because NRG considers it an important supplemental measure of its performance and believes debt-holders frequently use EBITDA to analyze operating performance and debt service capacity. EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our operating results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

• EBITDA does not reflect cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital expenditures, or contractual commitments;
• EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, working capital needs;
• EBITDA does not reflect the significant interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on debt or cash income tax payments;
• Although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements; and
• Other companies in this industry may calculate EBITDA differently than NRG does, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure.

Because of these limitations, EBITDA should not be considered as a measure of discretionary cash available to use to invest in the growth of NRG’s business. NRG compensates for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP results and using EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA only supplementally. See the statements of cash flow included in the financial statements that are a part of this news release.

Adjusted EBITDA is presented as a further supplemental measure of operating performance. As NRG defines it, Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA excluding impairment losses, gains or losses on sales, dispositions or retirements of assets, any mark-to-market gains or losses from accounting for derivatives, adjustments to exclude the Adjusted EBITDA related to the non-controlling interest, gains or losses on the repurchase, modification or extinguishment of debt, the impact of restructuring and any extraordinary, unusual or non-recurring items plus adjustments to reflect the Adjusted EBITDA from our unconsolidated investments. The reader is encouraged to evaluate each adjustment and the reasons NRG considers it appropriate for supplemental analysis. As an analytical tool, Adjusted EBITDA is subject to all of the limitations applicable to EBITDA. In addition, in evaluating Adjusted EBITDA, the reader should be aware that in the future NRG may incur expenses similar to the adjustments in this news release.

Management believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors and other users of NRG's financial statements in evaluating its operating performance because it provides an additional tool to compare business performance across companies and across periods and adjusts for items that we do not consider indicative of NRG’s future operating performance. This measure is widely used by debt-holders to analyze operating performance and debt service capacity and by equity investors to measure our operating performance without regard to items such as interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which can vary substantially from company to company depending upon accounting methods and book value of assets, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA as a measure of operating performance to assist in comparing performance from period to period on a consistent basis and to readily view operating trends, as a measure for planning and forecasting overall expectations, and for evaluating actual results against such expectations, and in communications with NRG's Board of Directors, shareholders, creditors, analysts and investors concerning its financial performance.

Adjusted cash flow from operating activities is a non-GAAP measure NRG provides to show cash from operations with the reclassification of net payments of derivative contracts acquired in business combinations from financing to operating cash flow, as well as the add back of merger, integration and related restructuring costs. The Company provides the reader with this alternative view of operating cash flow because the cash settlement of these derivative contracts materially impact operating revenues and cost of sales, while GAAP requires NRG to treat them as if there was a financing activity associated with the contracts as of the acquisition dates. The Company adds back merger, integration related restructuring costs as they are one time and unique in nature and do not reflect ongoing cash from operations and they are fully disclosed to investors.

Free cash flow (before Growth) is adjusted cash flow from operations less maintenance and environmental capital expenditures, net of funding, preferred stock dividends and distributions to non-controlling interests and is used by NRG predominantly as a forecasting tool to estimate cash available for debt reduction and other capital allocation alternatives. The reader is encouraged to evaluate each of these adjustments and the reasons NRG considers them appropriate for supplemental analysis. Because we have mandatory debt service requirements (and other non-discretionary expenditures) investors should not rely on free cash flow before Growth as a measure of cash available for discretionary expenditures.

Free Cash Flow before Growth is utilized by Management in making decisions regarding the allocation of capital. Free Cash Flow before Growth is presented because the Company believes it is a useful tool for assessing the financial performance in the current period. In addition, NRG’s peers evaluate cash available for allocation in a similar manner and accordingly, it is a meaningful indicator for investors to benchmark NRG's performance against its peers. Free Cash Flow before Growth is a performance measure and is not intended to represent net income (loss), cash from operations (the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure), or liquidity and is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

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NRG Energy, Inc.Media:Marijke Shugrue, 609-524-5262orInvestors:Kevin L. Cole, CFA, 609-524-4526orLindsey Puchyr, 609-524-4527