NEWS RELEASE

WASHINGTON—NRG Energy Inc. announced today that it has filed a combined construction and operating license application (COL) with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for two additional reactors at the South Texas Project nuclear power plant site along the Gulf Coast of Texas. Following is a statement from Frank L. (Skip) Bowman, the Nuclear Energy Institute’s president and chief executive officer.

“The Nuclear Energy Institute congratulates NRG Energy and its leadership team for acting on their belief that the road to a stronger U.S. energy future must include new nuclear power plants. NRG’s filing of a reactor license application under the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s new licensing process is momentous both historically and practically.

“Texas has significant future electricity needs in the near term. Nuclear energy should play an important role in the state’s energy portfolio because of its ability to produce electricity reliably and without emitting greenhouse gases or other controlled air pollutants.

“It is noteworthy that NRG is an independent power producer operating in a deregulated electricity market taking this action. It represents a new market approach to building a nuclear power station. NRG selected General Electric’s Advanced Boiling Water Reactor design that is an advanced, proven technology being used in Japan. The South Texas Project already has earned a reputation as a reliable producer of low-cost electricity for its customers, and this exciting news extends the prospect of secure, clean electricity for decades to come.”

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