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
OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number: 3235-0287
Expires: January 31, 2005
Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(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)
01/03/2019
(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   22,279 D (1) 527,906 (2) D  
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 01/04/2019   F   70,985 D (3) 456,921 (4) D  
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 01/04/2019   M   435,250 A (5) 892,171 D  
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 01/04/2019   M   13,454 A (6) 905,625 D  
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 01/04/2019   F   229,512 D (7) 676,113 (8) D  

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number. SEC 1474 (9-02)

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     43,525 01/04/2019 01/04/2019 Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 217,625 $ 0 0 D  
Dividend Equivalent Rights (6) 01/04/2019   M     13,454   (6) 01/04/2019 Common Stock, par value $.01 per share 13,454 (6) 0 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/ 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. Gutierrez was issued 140,112 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, 46,704 shares vested. Mr. Gutierrez 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 22,279 shares of common stock to satisfy the grantee's tax withholding obligation.
(2) In connection with the vesting of the RSUs described above, 465 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. Gutierrez was issued 410,535 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, 136,845 shares vested. Mr. Gutierrez 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 70,985 shares of common stock to satisfy the grantee's tax withholding obligation.
(4) In connection with the vesting of the RSUs described above, 4,230 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 217,625 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 435,250 shares of Common Stock if the company achieved 100% increase in total shareholder return since the grant date (the "Maximum"), 217,625 shares of Common Stock if there is no change in total shareholder return since the grant date (the "Target") or 163,218 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 435,250 shares.
(6) In connection with the vesting of the MSUs described above, an incremental 13,454 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 229,512 shares of common stock to satisfy the grantee's tax withholding obligation.
(8) Includes 9,924 DERs.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.