Short answers, pulled from the story.
NRG Energy began operations in 1989 as a subsidiary of Northern States Power Company with an initial generation capacity totaling just over 2,650 megawatts. The company became independent by the year 2000 after its parent utility transformed into Xcel Energy.
NRG Energy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on the 14th of May 2003 due to debt climbing from $212 million to $8.3 billion between 1996 and 2001. Liabilities reached $9.4 billion by 2002, forcing Xcel Energy to intervene before the final resolution eliminated about $5.2 billion in corporate debt.
NRG Energy serves over seven million retail electricity customers across twenty-four US states and eight Canadian provinces. Residential and commercial accounts span regions including Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the District of Columbia.
NRG Energy launched EVgo in late 2010 as the first completely private public car charging station network for electric vehicles. The company sold this network to Vision Ridge Partners in 2016 before LS Power acquired it in December 2019.
Mauricio Gutierrez took over as president when David Crane left his role as chief executive in December 2015. Gutierrez prioritized paying down debt as a top corporate goal during this transition period until he resigned from his CEO position in November 2023.