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 * Hill David Russell   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) Exec Vice Pres, Gen Counsel (Last) (First) (Middle) NRG ENERGY, INC., 804 CARNEGIE CENTER 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 01/03/2017 (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 01/03/2017   A   27,903 (1) A (2) 97,364 (3) D

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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

Relative Performance Stock Units

(4)

01/03/2017

A

43,797

01/03/2020

01/03/2020

Common Stock, par value, $.01 per share

87,594 (5)

$ 0

43,797

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Hill David Russell NRG ENERGY, INC. 804 CARNEGIE CENTER PRINCETON, NJ 08540			Exec Vice Pres, Gen Counsel

Signatures

/s/ Brian Curci, by Power of Attorney		01/05/2017
**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)	Represents Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") issued to Reporting Person under NRG Energy, Inc.'s Amended and Restated Long Term Incentive Plan ("LTIP").
(2)	Each RSU is equivalent in value to one share of NRG's Common Stock, par value $.01 per share.
(3)	The Reporting Person will receive from NRG one such share of Common Stock for each RSU that will vest ratably over a three year period beginning on the first anniversary of the date of grant.
(4)	The Reporting Person was issued 43,797 Relative Performance Stock Units ("RPSUs") by NRG under the LTIP on January 3, 2017. The RPSUs will convert to shares of NRG Common Stock on January 3, 2020 only in the event the Company has achieved a certain level of total shareholder return ("TSR") relative to the Peer Group (defined below) over a three-year performance period. The number of shares of Common Stock that the Reporting Person may receive is interpolated for TSR falling between Threshold, Target, and Maximum levels as described below.
(5)	The Reporting Person will receive (i) a maximum of 87,594 shares of Common Stock if the Company's TSR is ranked at or above the 75th percentile relative to a peer group of companies approved by the Company's Compensation Committee (the "Peer Group") for the performance period (the "Maximum"); (ii) 43,797 shares of Common Stock if the Company's TSR is ranked at the 55th percentile relative to the Peer Group for the performance period (the "Target"); provided, however, if TSR is less than negative fifteen percent (-15%), the Company's TSR must be ranked at the 65th percentile relative to the Peer Group for the performance period to receive the Target award; or (iii) 10,949 shares of Common Stock if the Company's TSR is ranked at the 25th percentile relative to the Peer Group for the performance period (the "Threshold"). The Reporting Person will not receive any shares of Common Stock if the Company's TSR is below the 25th percentile relative to the Peer Group for the performance period.

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