NRG Energy, Inc. Reports Full Year Results and Reaffirms 2023 Guidance

: Business Wire; Posted On Feb 16, 2023

Reaffirming 2023 Adjusted EBITDA and FCFbG NRG standalone guidance
Reported 2022 Full Year Net Income of $1.2 billion; lower than expected Adjusted EBITDA and FCFbG
Closed Astoria land sale
Vivint acquisition on track to close in the first quarter of 2023
Providing enhanced disclosure on growth targets

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) today reported full year 2022 Net Income of $1.2 billion, or $5.17 per diluted common share. Adjusted EBITDA for the full year 2022 was $1.8 billion, Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities was $0.4 billion, and Free Cash Flow Before Growth (FCFbG) was $0.6 billion.

“In 2022, NRG advanced many of our strategic priorities while also navigating a challenging business environment,” said Mauricio Gutierrez, NRG President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our core business is well-positioned for 2023, and I am confident in the value opportunity that essential home services represent for NRG and our customers.”

Consolidated Financial Results
	Three Months Ended						Twelve Months Ended
(In millions)	12/31/22			12/31/21			12/31/22		12/31/21
Net (Loss)/Income	$	(1,095	)	$	(427	)	$	1,221	$	2,187
Cash (Used)/Provided by Operating Activities	$	(1,398	)	$	(1,362	)	$	360	$	493
Adjusted EBITDA^a	$	435		$	433		$	1,754	$	2,423
Free Cash Flow Before Growth Investments (FCFbG)	$	274		$	349		$	568	$	1,512
^a Three and twelve months ended 12/31/2021 excludes Winter Storm Uri income/(loss) of $690 million and ($380) million, respectively. Three and twelve months ended 12/31/2022 excludes Winter Storm Uri income of $135 million.

Fourth quarter Net Loss was $1.1 billion, $668 million lower than the fourth quarter of 2021. This was driven by the higher recovery of Winter Storm Uri mitigants in the fourth quarter of 2021, higher unrealized mark-to-market losses on economic hedges in the fourth quarter of 2022 primarily in the East, due to large movements in natural gas and power prices, and the gain on 4.8 GW of fossil generation asset sales in December 2021. This was partially offset by lower impairment losses in the fourth quarter of 2022 and higher income tax benefits.

Fourth quarter 2022 and 2021 Cash Used by Operating Activities were ($1.4) billion, primarily driven by decreases in collateral deposits received in support of risk management activities as a result of large movements in natural gas and power prices.

Segment Results

Table 1: Net (Loss)/Income
(In millions)	Three Months Ended						Twelve Months Ended
Segment	12/31/2022			12/31/2021			12/31/2022			12/31/2021
Texas	$	215		$	693		$	1,265		$	1,290
East		(1,759	)		(1,213	)		326			1,907
West/Services/Other^a		449			93			(370	)		(1,010	)
Net (Loss)/Income	($	1,095	)	($	427	)		1,221		$	2,187
a. Includes Corporate segment

Fourth quarter Net Loss in the East of ($1.8) billion in 2022 and ($1.2) billion in 2021 were primarily driven by unrealized mark-to-market losses on economic hedges due to large movements in natural gas and power prices.

Table 2: Adjusted EBITDA
(In millions)	Three Months Ended				Twelve Months Ended
Segment	12/31/2022		12/31/2021		12/31/2022		12/31/2021
Texas	$	200	$	161	$	821	$	1,167
East		180		227		737		982
West/Services/Other^a		55		45		196		274
Adjusted EBITDA^b	$	435	$	433		1,754	$	2,423
a. Includes Corporate Segment
b. Three and twelve months ended 12/31/2021 excludes Winter Storm Uri income/(loss) of $690 million and ($380) million, respectively. Three and twelve months ended 12/31/2022 excludes Winter Storm Uri income of $135 million.

Texas: Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $200 million, $39 million higher than the fourth quarter of 2021. This increase was primarily driven by partial settlements of insurance claims related to the W.A. Parish and Limestone extended outages and increased margin rates. This was partially offset by higher supply costs as a result of Winter Storm Elliott in December 2022, and higher ancillary charges.

East: Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $180 million, $47 million lower than the fourth quarter of 2021. This decrease was driven by the December 2021 4.8 GW asset sales, PJM asset retirements, and estimated capacity performance net impact resulting from Winter Storm Elliott.

West/Services/Other: Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $55 million, $10 million higher than the fourth quarter of 2021. This increase was driven by higher gross margin from Cottonwood, including a positive impact from capacity performance, and was partially offset by the 4.8 GW asset sales.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Table 3: Corporate Liquidity
(In millions)	12/31/2022		12/31/2021
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$	430	$	250
Restricted Cash		40		15
Total	$	470	$	265
Total credit facility availability		2,324		2,421
Total Liquidity, excluding collateral received	$	2,794	$	2,686

As of December 31, 2022, NRG's cash was $430 million, and $2.3 billion was available under the Company’s credit facilities. Total liquidity was $2.8 billion, which was $108 million higher than December 31, 2021.

NRG Strategic Developments

Vivint Smart Home Acquisition

On December 6, 2022, NRG and Vivint Smart Home, Inc. (Vivint) announced the entry into a definitive agreement under which the Company will acquire Vivint, a smart home platform company, in an all-cash transaction. The acquisition accelerates the realization of NRG’s consumer-focused growth strategy and creates a leading essential home services platform fueled by market-leading brands, unparalleled insights, proprietary technologies, and complementary sales channels. The Company expects to achieve $100 million in cost synergies and $300 million in revenue synergies/growth through cross-selling, channel optimization, and continued base business growth by 2025.

The Company will pay $12 per share, or approximately $2.8 billion in cash, and expects to fund the acquisition using proceeds from newly issued debt and preferred equity, drawing on its Revolving Credit Facility and Receivables Securitization Facilities, and through cash on hand. Additionally, NRG increased its Revolving Credit Facility by $600 million in February 2023 to meet the additional liquidity requirements related to the acquisition. Close of the acquisition is targeted for the first quarter of 2023 and is subject to customary closing conditions.

In connection with the merger agreement, NRG entered into a commitment letter for a senior secured 364-day bridge term loan facility in a principal amount not to exceed $2.1 billion for the purposes of financing the Vivint acquisition, paying fees and expenses in connection with the acquisition, and certain other third-party payments in respect of arrangements of Vivint.

Sale of Astoria

On January 6, 2023, NRG closed on the sale of land and related assets from the Astoria site, within the East region of operations, for net proceeds of $209 million. As part of the transaction, NRG entered into an agreement to lease the land back for the purpose of operating the Astoria gas turbines through the planned April 30, 2023 retirement date. The operating lease agreement is expected to end six months after the facility's actual retirement date.

W.A. Parish Extended Outage

In May 2022, W.A. Parish Unit 8 came offline as a result of damage to the steam turbine/generator. Based on work completed to date, NRG is targeting to return the unit to service by the end of the second quarter of 2023. The Company is working with its insurers related to claims surrounding the outage and has received partial settlements in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Reaffirming 2023 Guidance

NRG is reaffirming its standalone Adjusted EBITDA and FCFbG guidance for 2023 as set forth below.

Table 4: 2023 Adjusted EBITDA, Cash Provided by Operating Activities, and FCFbG Guidance
		2023
(In millions)		Guidance
Adjusted EBITDA^a		$2,270 - $2,470
Cash Provided by Operating Activities		$1,780 - $1,980
FCFbG		$1,520 - $1,720
a. Non-GAAP financial measure; see Appendix Table A-8 for GAAP Reconciliation to Net Income that excludes fair value adjustments related to derivatives. The Company is unable to provide guidance for Net Income due to the impact of such fair value adjustments related to derivatives in a given year.

Capital Allocation Update

As part of NRG’s long-term capital allocation plan, the return of capital to shareholders during the twelve months ending December 31, 2022 was comprised of the annual dividend of $1.40 per share, or $332 million, and share repurchases of $606 million at an average price of $40.50 per share, for a total amount of capital returned to shareholders of $938 million in 2022. The Company’s $1 billion share repurchase program began with $39 million of shares repurchased in December of 2021, resulting in $645 million of shares repurchased under that program to date. The program is expected to be completed in 2023, subject to availability of cash and full visibility of the achievement of the Company’s 2023 targeted credit metrics.

In 2023, the Company expects to use its excess free cash flow to fund the Vivint acquisition, reduce acquisition-related debt, and maintain its common stock dividend. In addition, NRG is targeting additional asset sales with projected proceeds, net of any required deleveraging, of $500 million during 2023. Following the completion of the Vivint acquisition, the Company plans to update 2023 capital allocation.

NRG is committed to maintaining a strong balance sheet and credit ratings, and remains focused on achieving investment grade credit metrics. The Company expects to achieve 2.50x to 2.75x corporate net debt to adjusted EBITDA by late 2025 or 2026, which will be primarily achieved through debt reduction and the realization of growth initiatives.

On January 20, 2023, NRG declared a quarterly dividend on the Company's common stock of $0.3775 per share, or $1.51 per share on an annualized basis. This dividend represents an 8% increase from the prior year, which is in line with the Company’s previously announced dividend growth rate target of 7% to 9% per year.

Earnings Conference Call

On February 16, 2023, NRG will host a conference call at 9:00 a.m. Eastern (8:00 a.m. Central) to discuss these results. Investors, the news media and others may access the live webcast of the conference call and accompanying presentation materials by logging on to NRG’s website at http://www.nrg.com and clicking on “Investors” then "Presentations & Webcasts." The webcast will be archived on the site for those unable to listen in real-time.

About NRG

NRG Energy is a leading energy and home services company powered by people and our passion for a smarter, cleaner, and more connected future. A Fortune 500 company operating in the United States and Canada, NRG delivers innovative solutions that help people, organizations, and businesses achieve their goals while also advocating for competitive energy markets and customer choice. More information is available at www.nrg.com. Connect with NRG on Facebook and LinkedIn, and follow us on Twitter, @nrgenergy.

Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to historical information, the information presented in this press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. These statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and can typically be identified by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “objective,” “projection,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “plan,” “think,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “predict,” “target,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company’s future revenues, income, indebtedness, capital structure, plans, expectations, objectives, projected financial performance and/or business results and other future events, and views of economic and market conditions.

Although NRG believes that its expectations are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct, and actual results may vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated herein include, among others, general economic conditions, hazards customary in the power industry, weather conditions and extreme weather events, competition in wholesale power and gas markets, the volatility of energy and fuel prices, failure of customers or counterparties to perform under contracts, changes in the wholesale power and gas markets, our ability to execute our market operations strategy, unanticipated outages at our generation facilities, changes in government or market regulations, the condition of capital markets generally, our ability to access capital markets, failure to identify, execute or successfully implement acquisitions or asset sales, our ability to achieve our net debt targets, our ability to achieve or maintain investment grade credit metrics, the potential impact of COVID-19 or any other pandemic on the Company’s operations, financial position, risk exposure and liquidity, data privacy, cyberterrorism and inadequate cybersecurity, adverse results in current and future litigation, our ability to implement value enhancing improvements to plant operations and companywide processes, our ability to proceed with projects under development or the inability to complete the construction of such projects on schedule or within budget, the inability to maintain or create successful partnering relationships, our ability to operate our business efficiently, our ability to retain retail customers, the ability to successfully integrate businesses of acquired companies, including Direct Energy, our ability to realize anticipated benefits of transactions (including expected cost savings and other synergies) or the risk that anticipated benefits may take longer to realize than expected, and our ability to execute our Capital Allocation Plan. Achieving investment grade credit metrics is not an indication of or guarantee that the Company will receive investment grade credit ratings. Debt and share repurchases may be made from time to time subject to market conditions and other factors, including as permitted by United States securities laws. Furthermore, any common stock dividend is subject to available capital and market conditions.

NRG undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The adjusted EBITDA, adjusted cash flow from operations and free cash flow guidance are estimates as of February 16, 2023. These estimates are based on assumptions the company believed to be reasonable as of that date. NRG disclaims any current intention to update such guidance, except as required by law. The foregoing review of factors that could cause NRG’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the forward-looking statements included in this press release should be considered in connection with information regarding risks and uncertainties that may affect NRG's future results included in NRG's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

NRG ENERGY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
	For the Year Ended December 31,
(In millions, except per share amounts)	2022			2021			2020
Revenues
Total revenues	$	31,543		$	26,989		$	9,093
Operating Costs and Expenses
Cost of operations (excluding depreciation and amortization shown below)		27,446			20,482			6,540
Depreciation and amortization		634			785			435
Impairment losses		206			544			75
Selling, general and administrative costs		1,228			1,293			810
Provision for credit losses		11			698			108
Acquisition-related transaction and integration costs		52			93			23
Total operating costs and expenses		29,577			23,895			7,991
Gain on sale of assets		52			247			3
Operating Income		2,018			3,341			1,105
Other Income/(Expense)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates		6			17			17
Impairment losses on investments		—			—			(18	)
Other income, net		56			63			67
Loss on debt extinguishment		—			(77	)		(9	)
Interest expense		(417	)		(485	)		(401	)
Total other expense		(355	)		(482	)		(344	)
Income Before Income Taxes		1,663			2,859			761
Income tax expense		442			672			251
Net Income	$	1,221		$	2,187		$	510
Income Per Share
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding — basic		236			245			245
Income per Weighted Average Common Share — Basic	$	5.17		$	8.93		$	2.08
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding — diluted		236			245			246
Income per Weighted Average Common Share — Diluted	$	5.17		$	8.93		$	2.07

NRG ENERGY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
	For the Year Ended December 31,
(In millions)	2022			2021			2020
Net Income	$	1,221		$	2,187		$	510
Other Comprehensive (Loss)/Income, net of tax
Foreign currency translation adjustments		(35	)		(5	)		8
Defined benefit plans		(16	)		85			(22	)
Other comprehensive (loss)/income		(51	)		80			(14	)
Comprehensive Income	$	1,170		$	2,267		$	496

NRG ENERGY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
	As of December 31,
(In millions)	2022		2021
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	430	$	250
Funds deposited by counterparties		1,708		845
Restricted cash		40		15
Accounts receivable, net		4,773		3,245
Uplift securitization proceeds receivable from ERCOT		—		689
Inventory		751		498
Derivative instruments		7,886		4,613
Cash collateral paid in support of energy risk management activities		260		291
Prepayments and other current assets		383		395
Total current assets		16,231		10,841
Property, plant and equipment, net		1,692		1,688
Other Assets
Equity investments in affiliates		133		157
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net		225		271
Goodwill		1,650		1,795
Intangible assets, net		2,132		2,511
Nuclear decommissioning trust fund		838		1,008
Derivative instruments		4,108		2,527
Deferred income taxes		1,881		2,155
Other non-current assets		256		229
Total other assets		11,223		10,653
Total Assets	$	29,146	$	23,182

NRG ENERGY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Continued)
	As of December 31,
(In millions, except share data)	2022			2021
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current Liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt and finance leases	$	63		$	4
Current portion of operating lease liabilities		83			81
Accounts payable		3,643			2,274
Derivative instruments		6,195			3,387
Cash collateral received in support of energy risk management activities		1,708			845
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		1,290			1,324
Total current liabilities		12,982			7,915
Other Liabilities
Long-term debt and finance leases		7,976			7,966
Non-current operating lease liabilities		180			236
Nuclear decommissioning reserve		340			321
Nuclear decommissioning trust liability		477			666
Derivative instruments		2,246			1,412
Deferred income taxes		134			73
Other non-current liabilities		983			993
Total other liabilities		12,336			11,667
Total Liabilities		25,318			19,582
Commitments and Contingencies
Stockholders' Equity
Common stock; $0.01 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 423,897,001 and 423,547,174 shares issued; and 229,561,030 and 243,753,899 shares outstanding at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively		4			4
Additional paid-in capital		8,457			8,531
Retained earnings		1,408			464
Treasury stock, at cost; 194,335,971 and 179,793,275 shares at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively		(5,864	)		(5,273	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(177	)		(126	)
Total Stockholders' Equity		3,828			3,600
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity	$	29,146		$	23,182

NRG ENERGY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
	For the Year Ended December 31,
(In millions)	2022			2021			2020
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net income	$	1,221		$	2,187		$	510
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Distributions from and equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates		7			20			45
Depreciation and amortization		634			785			435
Accretion of asset retirement obligations		55			30			45
Provision for credit losses		11			698			108
Amortization of nuclear fuel		54			51			54
Amortization of financing costs and debt discounts		23			39			48
Loss on debt extinguishment		—			77			9
Amortization of in-the-money contracts and emission allowances		158			106			70
Amortization of unearned equity compensation		28			21			22
Net gain on sale of assets and disposal of assets		(102	)		(261	)		(23	)
Impairment losses		206			544			93
Changes in derivative instruments		(3,221	)		(3,626	)		137
Changes in deferred income taxes and liability for uncertain tax benefits		382			604			228
Changes in collateral deposits in support of risk management activities		896			797			127
Changes in nuclear decommissioning trust liability		9			40			51
Oil lower of cost or market adjustment		—			—			29
Uplift securitization proceeds received/(receivable) from ERCOT		689			(689	)		—
Cash (used)/provided by changes in other working capital, net of acquisition and disposition effects:
Accounts receivable - trade		(1,560	)		(1,232	)		—
Inventory		(252	)		(61	)		27
Prepayments and other current assets		17			31			4
Accounts payable		1,295			476			(56	)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		(29	)		(55	)		(42	)
Other assets and liabilities		(161	)		(89	)		(84	)
Cash provided by operating activities	$	360		$	493		$	1,837
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Payments for acquisitions of assets, businesses and leases	$	(62	)	$	(3,559	)	$	(284	)
Capital expenditures		(367	)		(269	)		(230	)
Net purchases of emissions allowances		(6	)		—			(10	)
Investments in nuclear decommissioning trust fund securities		(454	)		(751	)		(492	)
Proceeds from sales of nuclear decommissioning trust fund securities		448			710			439
Proceeds from sale of assets, net of cash disposed and fees		109			830			81
Changes in investments in unconsolidated affiliates		—			—			2
Cash used by investing activities	$	(332	)	$	(3,039	)	$	(494	)

Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Net receipts/(payments) from settlement of acquired derivatives that include financing elements	$	1,995		$	938		$	(7	)
Payments for share repurchase activity		(606	)		(48	)		(229	)
Payments of dividends to common stockholders		(332	)		(319	)		(295	)
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt		—			1,100			3,234
Payments for short and long-term debt		(5	)		(1,861	)		(335	)
Payments for debt extinguishment costs		—			(65	)		(5	)
Payments of debt issuance costs		(9	)		(18	)		(75	)
Repayments of Revolving Credit Facility		—			—			(83	)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock		—			1			1
Purchase of and distributions to noncontrolling interests from subsidiaries		—			—			(2	)
Cash provided/(used) by financing activities	$	1,043		$	(272	)	$	2,204
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		(3	)		(2	)		(2	)
Net Increase/(Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents, Funds Deposited by Counterparties and Restricted Cash		1,068			(2,820	)		3,545
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Funds Deposited by Counterparties and Restricted Cash at Beginning of Period		1,110			3,930			385
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Funds Deposited by Counterparties and Restricted Cash at End of Period	$	2,178		$	1,110		$	3,930

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