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 *
Gutierrez Mauricio
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
NRG ENERGY, INC. [NRG] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
President & Chief Exec Officer
(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   140,251 (1) A (2) 453,859 (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   220,140   01/03/2020 01/03/2020 Common Stock, par value, $.01 per share 440,280 (5) $ 0 220,140 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
Gutierrez Mauricio
NRG ENERGY, INC.
804 CARNEGIE CENTER
PRINCETON, NJ 08540		   X     President & Chief Exec Officer  

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 220,140 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 440,280 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) 220,140 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) 55,035 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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