Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
Gaudette Robert J
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
NRG ENERGY, INC. [NRG]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Senior VP, Business Solutions
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
NRG ENERGY, INC., 804 CARNEGIE CENTER
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/03/2019
(Street)

PRINCETON, NJ 08540
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 01/03/2019   F   1,323 D (1) 72,305 (2) D  
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 01/04/2019   F   3,247 D (3) 69,058 (4) D  
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 01/04/2019   M   41,140 A (5) 110,198 (6) D  
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 01/04/2019   M   1,271 A (6) 111,469 D  
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 01/04/2019   F   15,966 D (7) 95,503 (8) D  

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Market Stock Units (5) 01/04/2019   M     41,140 01/04/2019 01/04/2019 Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 20,570 $ 0 0 D  
Dividend Equivalent Rights (6) 01/04/2019   M     1,271   (6) 01/04/2019 Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 1,271 (6) 0 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
Gaudette Robert J
NRG ENERGY, INC.
804 CARNEGIE CENTER
PRINCETON, NJ 08540
      Senior VP, Business Solutions  

Signatures

 /s/ Christine Zoino, by Power of Attorney   01/07/2019
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) On January 3, 2017, Mr. Gaudette was issued 15,915 Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") by NRG Energy, Inc. under NRG Energy, Inc.'s Amended and Restated Long Term Incentive Plan. Each RSU is equivalent in value to one share of NRG's Common Stock, par value $.01. On January 3, 2019, 5,305 shares vested. Mr. Gaudette elected to satisfy his tax obligation upon the exchange of common stock for RSUs having a value on the date of the exchange equal to the withholding obligation. This form reflects the surrender of 1,323 shares of common stock to satisfy the grantee's tax withholding obligation.
(2) In connection with the vesting of the RSUs described above, 52 DERs vested. Dividend equivalent rights accrue on the reporting person's restricted stock units, market stock units or relative performance stock units, which become exercisable proportionately with the restricted stock units, market stock units or relative performance stock units to which they relate and may only be settled in NRG common stock. Each dividend equivalent right is the economic equivalent of one share of NRG common stock.
(3) On January 4, 2018, Mr. Gaudette was issued 38,805 Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") by NRG Energy, Inc. under NRG Energy, Inc.'s Amended and Restated Long Term Incentive Plan. Each RSU is equivalent in value to one share of NRG's Common Stock, par value $.01. On January 4, 2019, 12,935 shares vested. Mr. Gaudette elected to satisfy his tax obligation upon the exchange of common stock for RSUs having a value on the date of the exchange equal to the withholding obligation. This form reflects the surrender of 3,247 shares of common stock to satisfy the grantee's tax withholding obligation.
(4) In connection with the vesting of the RSUs described above, 399 DERs vested. Dividend equivalent rights accrue on the reporting person's restricted stock units, market stock units or relative performance stock units, which become exercisable proportionately with the restricted stock units, market stock units or relative performance stock units to which they relate and may only be settled in NRG common stock. Each dividend equivalent right is the economic equivalent of one share of NRG common stock.
(5) The Reporting Person was issued 20,570 Market Stock Units by NRG under the LTIP on January 4, 2016 that vested on January 4, 2019. On the vesting date the Reporting Person was entitled to receive a maximum of 41,140 shares of Common Stock if the company achieved 100% increase in total shareholder return since the grant date (the "Maximum"), 20,570 shares of Common Stock if there is no change in total shareholder return since the grant date (the "Target") or 15,427 shares of Common Stock if there is a 25% decrease in total shareholder return since the grant date (the "Threshold"). The Reporting Person would not have received any shares of Common Stock if total shareholder return had decreased by more than 25% since the grant date. The number of shares that the Reporting Person could have received in interpolated for total shareholder return fall between Threshold, Target and Maximum levels. On January 4, 2019 he vested in 41,140 shares.
(6) In connection with the vesting of the MSUs described above, an incremental 1,271 DERs vested. Dividend equivalent rights accrue on the Reporting Person's restricted stock units, market stock units or relative performance stock units, which become exercisable proportionately with the restricted stock units, market stock units or relative performance stock units to which they relate and may only be settled in NRG common stock. Each dividend equivalent right is the economic equivalent of one share of NRG common stock.
(7) The Reporting Person elected to satisfy his tax withholding obligation upon the exchange of common stock for MSUs having a value on the date of the exchange equal to the withholding obligation. This form reflects the surrender of 15,966 shares of common stock to satisfy the grantee's tax withholding obligation.
(8) Includes 330 DERs.

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