116-698: NRG Energy, Inc. is an American energy company, headquartered in Houston , Texas . It was formerly the wholesale arm of Northern States Power Company (NSP), which became Xcel Energy , but became independent in 2000. NRG Energy is involved in energy generation and retail electricity. Their portfolio includes natural gas generation, coal generation, oil generation, nuclear generation, wind generation, utility-scale generation, and distributed solar generation. NRG serves over 7 million retail customers in 24 US states including Texas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio;
232-574: A green energy producer in the United States and started investing money in clean energy projects. They include onshore and offshore wind power, solar thermal energy , photovoltaic , and distributed solar power facilities, and repowering of some of their traditional coal plants with biomass . In late 2010, NRG launched the EVgo network, the first completely private public car charging station network for electric power vehicles. In 2016, NRG sold
348-575: A city on June 5, 1837. The city is named after former General Sam Houston , who was president of the Republic of Texas and had won Texas's independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto 25 miles (40 km) east of Allen's Landing. After briefly serving as the capital of the Texas Republic in the late 1830s, Houston grew steadily into a regional trading center for the remainder of
464-572: A city with zoning that flooded." On May 16, 2024, a strong derecho caused widespread damage across the city and surrounding metropolitan area. Houston is 165 miles (266 km) east of Austin , 88 miles (142 km) west of the Louisiana border, and 250 miles (400 km) south of Dallas . The city has a total area of 637.4 square miles (1,651 km ); this comprises over 599.59 square miles (1,552.9 km ) of land and 22.3 square miles (58 km ) covered by water. Most of Houston
580-553: A commercial center, forming a symbiosis with its Gulf Coast port, Galveston. Landlocked farmers brought their produce to Houston, using Buffalo Bayou to gain access to Galveston and the Gulf of Mexico. Houston merchants profited from selling staples to farmers and shipping the farmers' produce to Galveston. The great majority of enslaved people in Texas came with their owners from the older slave states. Sizable numbers, however, came through
696-485: A county, parish, or borough. Though primarily in Harris County, small portions of the city extend into Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, bordering other principal communities of Greater Houston such as Sugar Land and The Woodlands . Houston was founded by land investors on August 30, 1836, at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou (a point now known as Allen's Landing ) and incorporated as
812-649: A day of groundwater. Houston has four major bayous passing through the city that accept water from the extensive drainage system. Buffalo Bayou runs through Downtown and the Houston Ship Channel , and has three tributaries: White Oak Bayou, which runs through the Houston Heights community northwest of Downtown and then towards Downtown; Brays Bayou , which runs along the Texas Medical Center; and Sims Bayou , which runs through
928-515: A floodplain, a flowing flood-water stream termed a floodway runs through the development area, a most dangerous place to encounter during any future flooding event. Harris County , like other more rural counties, cannot direct developers where to build or not build via land use controls such as a zoning ordinance by Texas law, and instead can only impose general floodplain regulations for enforcement during subdivision approvals and building permit approvals. The 2020 U.S. census determined Houston had
1044-528: A group of private equity firms for roughly $ 5.9 billion. Afterwards, in May 2009, NRG Energy acquired the retail operations of Reliant Energy. With those two moves, NRG's holdings represented most of the former HL&P and today serve 1.6 million customers in Texas. The retail operations continue to operate under the Reliant Energy name, while old Reliant's wholesale operations became RRI Energy . Following
1160-441: A mortgage were $ 1,646, and $ 536 without a mortgage. Houston's median gross rent from 2015 to 2019 was $ 1,041. The median household income in 2019 was $ 52,338 and 20.1% of Houstonians lived at or below the poverty line . Houston is a majority-minority city. The Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, a think tank , has described Greater Houston as "one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse metropolitan areas in
1276-642: A net ownership of 24,357 MW of generation globally, with 19,077 MW in the United States. From 1996 to 2001, the operating revenue increased from $ 104 million to $ 3 billion, and the debt increased from $ 212 million to $ 8.3 billion. By 2002, the debt had reached $ 9.4 billion, and NRG Energy sold its power plants in Hungary and the Czech Republic. To avert default by NRG, Xcel sold $ 500 million in stock in July 2002. In 2003, Xcel Energy paid NRG Energy $ 752 million for
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#17327838031071392-494: A number of customers from Pioneer Energy of Sugar Land and Stat Energy of Richardson, as well. In July of that year, a heat wave caused the day-ahead pricing spike to $ 2,172 per MW hour, compared to $ 28 per MW hour the previous summer. NRG Energy partnered with Cummins in December 2017 to offer backup generators to run as part of an asset-backed demand response system. The Cummins natural-gas-fired genset would be used when
1508-433: A peak capacity of 400 kW and provide enough power during the year to offset the cost of power consumed at 49ers home games. NRG Energy provided sustainable energy for Super Bowl LI in 2017 at NRG Stadium . The stadium received power from 600 solar panels and used only LEDs to light up the field, using 60% less energy than previously. NRG Energy also agreed to provide renewable energy credits for any venue associated with
1624-454: A population of 2,304,580. In 2017, the census-estimated population was 2,312,717, and in 2018 it was 2,325,502. An estimated 600,000 undocumented immigrants resided in the Houston area in 2017, comprising nearly 9% of the city's metropolitan population. At the 2010 United States census , Houston had a population of 2,100,263 residents, up from the city's 2,396 at the 1850 census . Per
1740-553: A proposed turbine replacement project which would represent a total proposed capacity of 579 MW. The turbine upgrades listed in the filing are new simple-cycle turbines. The filing states that since the proposed capacity is not 25 MW greater than the existing facility, Article 10 regulation is not required. As of November 2018, no ruling has been issued by the NYSPSC. JPMorgan Chase announced their plans in 2017 to power all their facilities in Texas through 100% renewable power by 2020. By
1856-493: A residential solar power installation company, for an undisclosed amount. RDS headquarters remained in Wall Township, New Jersey while they operated under NRG Residential Solar Solutions. That same month, NRG also acquired the retail power business of Dominion Resources Inc., which included Texas-based Cirro Energy and added 600,000 customer accounts to NRG Energy's retail business. Cirro Energy has continued to operate under
1972-482: A shelter to more than 150,000 people from New Orleans, who evacuated from Hurricane Katrina . One month later, about 2.5 million Houston-area residents evacuated when Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast , leaving little damage to the Houston area. This was the largest urban evacuation in the history of the United States. In May 2015, seven people died after 12 inches of rain fell in 10 hours during what
2088-649: A top priority. NRG Energy announced in February 2018 the sale of the company's stake in NRG Yield, a tax-advantaged renewable energy investment pass-through vehicle, to Global Energy Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and the sale of its Louisiana assets to Cleco Corporate Holdings. This included the 1,300 MW Cottonwood natural gas plant (1.3 GW), the 1,500 MW Big Cajun II coal and gas-fired plant (1.5 GW), and three other gas-fired peaking plants. In August, NRG Yield changed its name to Clearway Energy and began trading under
2204-692: A two-year agreement beginning in January 2011 to provide 100% renewable energy for the Empire State Building . In 2012, NRG Energy partnered with the DLR Group to design an open-air, solar system for Patriot Place in Massachusetts. The solar array produces an estimated 30% of the power for Patriot Place and provides renewable energy education for visitors at kiosks, electric vehicle charging stations, and off-grid solar “Helios” at
2320-593: Is also home to buildings designed by noted architects I. M. Pei , César Pelli , and Philip Johnson. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a mini-boom of midrise and highrise residential tower construction occurred, with several over 30 stories tall. Since 2000 over 30 skyscrapers have been developed in Houston; all told, 72 high-rises tower over the city, which adds up to about 8,300 units. In 2002, Uptown had more than 23 million square feet (2,100,000 m ) of office space with 16 million square feet (1,500,000 m ) of class A office space . Houston's climate
2436-628: Is classified as humid subtropical ( Cfa in the Köppen climate classification system ), typical of the Southern United States . While not in Tornado Alley , like much of Northern Texas , spring supercell thunderstorms sometimes bring tornadoes to the area. Prevailing winds are from the south and southeast during most of the year, which bring heat and tropical moisture from the nearby Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay. During
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#17327838031072552-577: Is deployed, it can then monitor the operations and the performance of the building. NRG Energy mapped 24 different utility territories outside of SCE. By 2018, NRG Energy no longer owned SpaceTag as Station A became a standalone company. NRG Energy owns a minority stake in the company and is a customer of Station A. After the GenOn merger in 2012, NRG had 47,000 MW of total generation capacity, enough to power approximately 40 million homes. Its nearly 100 power plants were located in 18 states in
2668-568: Is known as the Memorial Day Flood. Eight people died in April 2016 during a storm that dropped 17 inches of rain. The worst came in late August 2017, when Hurricane Harvey stalled over southeastern Texas, much like Tropical Storm Allison did sixteen years earlier, causing severe flooding in the Houston area, with some areas receiving over 50 inches (1,300 mm) of rain. The rainfall exceeded 50 inches in several areas locally, breaking
2784-507: Is on the gulf coastal plain , and its vegetation is classified as Western Gulf coastal grasslands while further north, it transitions into a subtropical jungle, the Big Thicket . Much of the city was built on forested land, marshes, or swamps, and all are still visible in surrounding areas. Flat terrain and extensive greenfield development have combined to worsen flooding. Downtown stands about 50 feet (15 m) above sea level, and
2900-677: Is the most diverse metropolitan area in Texas and has been described as the most racially and ethnically diverse major city in the U.S. It is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits, such as the Houston Museum District and the Houston Theater District . Present-day Houston sits on land that was once occupied by the Karankawa and the Atakapa indigenous peoples for at least 2,000 years before
3016-477: Is the seat of Harris County ; as well as the principal city of the Greater Houston metropolitan area, the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the second-most populous in Texas after Dallas–Fort Worth . With a population of 2,314,157 in 2023, Houston is the fourth-most populous city in the United States after New York City , Los Angeles , and Chicago , and
3132-533: Is the 64-floor, 901-foot (275 m)-tall, Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed landmark Williams Tower (known as the Transco Tower until 1999). At the time of construction, it was believed to be the world's tallest skyscraper outside a central business district. The new 20-story Skanska building and BBVA Compass Plaza are the newest office buildings built in Uptown after 30 years. The Uptown District
3248-488: Is the largest city in the United States without formal zoning regulations, it has developed similarly to other Sun Belt cities because the city's land use regulations and legal covenants have played a similar role. Regulations include mandatory lot size for single-family houses and requirements that parking be available to tenants and customers. In 1998, Houston relaxed its mandatory lot sizes from 5,000 square feet to 3,500 square feet, which spurred housing construction in
3364-631: Is the only metropolitan area with less than ten million citizens where such a CO 2 dome can be detected by satellites. Because of Houston's wet season and proximity to the Gulf Coast , the city is prone to flooding from heavy rains; the most notable flooding events include Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017, along with most recent Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019 and Tropical Storm Beta in 2020. In response to Hurricane Harvey, Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston initiated plans to require developers to build homes that will be less susceptible to flooding by raising them two feet above
3480-418: Is the tallest structure in Texas, 19th tallest building in the United States, and was previously 85th-tallest skyscraper in the world, based on highest architectural feature. In 1983, the 71-floor, 992-foot (302 m)-tall Wells Fargo Plaza (formerly Allied Bank Plaza) was completed, becoming the second-tallest building in Houston and Texas. Based on highest architectural feature, it is the 21st-tallest in
3596-515: Is ubiquitous in Houston; in 1981, annual spending on electricity for interior cooling exceeded $ 600 million (equivalent to $ 2.01 billion in 2023), and by the late 1990s, approximately 90% of Houston homes featured air conditioning systems. The record highest temperature recorded in Houston is 109 °F (43 °C) at Bush Intercontinental Airport, on four occasions: September 4, 2000; August 27, 2011; and August 24 and August 27, 2023. Houston has mild winters, with occasional cold spells. In January,
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3712-405: The 500-year floodplain . Hurricane Harvey damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and dumped trillions of gallons of water into the city. In places this led to feet of standing water that blocked streets and flooded homes. The Houston City Council passed this regulation in 2018 with a vote of 9–7. Had these floodplain development rules had been in place all along, it is estimated that 84% of homes in
3828-479: The American Lung Association rating the metropolitan area's ozone level twelfth on the "Most Polluted Cities by Ozone" in 2017, after major cities such as Los Angeles , Phoenix , New York City , and Denver . The industries along the ship channel are a major cause of the city's air pollution. The rankings are in terms of peak-based standards, focusing strictly on the worst days of the year;
3944-493: The Battle of Galveston . After the Civil War, Houston businessmen initiated efforts to widen the city's extensive system of bayous so the city could accept more commerce between Downtown and the nearby port of Galveston. By 1890, Houston was the railroad center of Texas. In 1900, after Galveston was struck by a devastating hurricane , efforts to make Houston into a viable deep-water port were accelerated. The following year,
4060-564: The Houston Dynamo soccer team was formed. In 2017 , the Houston Astros won their first World Series . Flooding has been a recurring problem in the Houston area. In June 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to 40 inches (1,000 mm) of rain on parts of Houston, causing what was then the worst flooding in the city's history and billions of dollars in damage, and killed 20 people in Texas. In August 2005, Houston became
4176-538: The Interstate 610 loop . The "Inner Loop" encompasses a 97-square-mile (250 km ) area which includes Downtown, pre–World War II residential neighborhoods and streetcar suburbs , and newer high-density apartment and townhouse developments. Outside the loop, the city's typology is more suburban , though many major business districts—such as Uptown , Westchase , and the Energy Corridor —lie well outside
4292-614: The NRG Astrodome , NRG Stadium , NRG Arena and NRG Center . NRG Energy also holds the naming rights for a NRG Station (formerly AT&T Station), a rapid transit station in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . NRG Energy has multiple products and services, including generation facilities, operations, management services (O&M), retail electricity, commercial industrial backup generators, and an internal data analytics engine called SpaceTag. In 2014, NRG Energy helped restart
4408-676: The Texas Medical Center —the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions—and NASA 's Johnson Space Center , home to the Mission Control Center . Since the late 19th century, Houston's economy has had a broad industrial base in energy , manufacturing , aeronautics, and transportation . Leading in healthcare sectors and building oilfield equipment, Houston has the second-most Fortune 500 headquarters of any U.S. municipality within its city limits. The Port of Houston ranks first in
4524-447: The megawatts of power while reducing emissions. As of 2018, of the 19 Astoria facilities listed in the 2018 NYISO Gold Book as being owned by NRG, 7 of the facilities are on the deactivated list (at a total of 140 MW of capacity rights), and 12 of the facilities (at a total of 558 MW in nameplate capacity) have each consistently produced less than 15 GWh a year since 2011. This is equivalent to running at full capacity for less than 4% of
4640-536: The sixth-most populous city in North America . Houston is the southeast anchor of the greater megaregion known as the Texas Triangle . Comprising a land area of 640.4 square miles (1,659 km ), Houston is the ninth-most expansive city in the United States (including consolidated city-counties ). It is the largest city in the United States by total area whose government is not consolidated with
4756-604: The 100-year and 500-year floodplains would have been spared damage. In a recent case testing these regulations, near the Brickhouse Gulley, an old golf course that long served as a floodplain and reservoir for floodwaters, announced a change of heart toward intensifying development. A nationwide developer, Meritage Homes , bought the land and planned to develop the 500-year floodplain into 900 new residential homes. Their plan would bring in $ 360 million in revenue and boost city population and tax revenue. In order to meet
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4872-507: The 1960s, Downtown Houston consisted of a collection of mid-rise office structures. Downtown was on the threshold of an energy industry–led boom in 1970. A succession of skyscrapers was built throughout the 1970s—many by real estate developer Gerald D. Hines —culminating with Houston's tallest skyscraper, the 75-floor, 1,002-foot (305 m)-tall JPMorgan Chase Tower (formerly the Texas Commerce Tower), completed in 1982. It
4988-472: The 19th century. The 20th century brought a convergence of economic factors that fueled rapid growth in Houston, including a burgeoning port and railroad industry, the decline of Galveston as Texas's primary port following a devastating 1900 hurricane , the subsequent construction of the Houston Ship Channel , and the Texas oil boom . In the mid-20th century, Houston's economy diversified, as it became home to
5104-447: The 2019 American Community Survey , Houston's age distribution was 482,402 under 15; 144,196 aged 15 to 19; 594,477 aged 20 to 34; 591,561 aged 35 to 54; 402,804 aged 55 to 74; and 101,357 aged 75 and older. The median age of the city was 33.4. At the 2014-2018 census estimates, Houston's age distribution was 486,083 under 15; 147,710 aged 15 to 19; 603,586 aged 20 to 34; 726,877 aged 35 to 59; and 357,834 aged 60 and older. The median age
5220-703: The 21st century. In 2000, the Houston Astros opened their new baseball stadium, Daikin Park , in downtown adjacent to the old Union Station . The Houston Texans were formed in 2002 as an NFL expansion team, replacing the Houston Oilers , which had left the city in 1996. NRG Stadium opened the same year. In 2003, the Toyota Center opened as the home for the Houston Rockets . In 2005,
5336-475: The Aspen Power plant, the first wood-based biomass plant in Texas. The plant is overseen by InventivEnergy LLC, but NRG operates and maintains the facility, including hiring the management team and operating staff. The plant consumes 525,000 tons of logging debris and municipal wood waste annually and can produce 50 MW of power. Aspen Power uses a stoker-type boiler that is made to reduce the air pollution from
5452-1062: The Carlsbad Energy Center natural gas project (527 MW) and the Buckthorn Solar project (154 MW) from NRG Energy. Cleco Corporate Holdings purchased NRG's South Central business for $ 1 billion in price and cash proceeds. The South Central business had 3,500 MW generation capacity, including the natural gas facilities Bayou Cove plant (225 MW), Sterlington plant (176 MW), and the Cottonwood plant (1,263,000 MW). NRG Energy also sold 1,891 MW of coal-fired capacity to Cleco from their Big Cajun-I and Big Cajun-II plants. In July 2018, NRG Energy released GenOn and paid $ 125 million in net payment during GenOn's bankruptcy settlement. In 2018, NRG Energy reduced its generation capacity to 23,000 MW. They also reduced their power plants from 100 to 40, but they retained 2.9 million retail customers. Beginning in 2009, NRG began an initiative to become
5568-477: The Chief Operating Officer at the time, was brought on as Chief Executive and President of NRG Energy. That same month, NRG's shares rose by 63% and closed at $ 17.90 after it had fallen by 60% in 2015. For the first three months of 2016, the company posted a net income of $ 47 million in comparison to the net loss of $ 136 million the first quarter of 2015. Gutierrez stated that paying down debt was
5684-531: The Cirro name. In September 2014, NRG acquired Goal Zero, a manufacturer of personal solar power products. The following month, NRG Energy acquired the residential solar company Pure Energies Group, which focused on web-based customer acquisition. This provided a simplified solar adoption process as well as a sales channel for Goal Zero. In March 2018, NRG acquired XOOM Energy, a mainly residential-focused, retail energy supplier with 300,000 RCE customers. The sale price
5800-886: The District of Columbia, and eight provinces in Canada. NRG Energy has acquired eleven other energy companies, both generation and retail, that include Reliant Energy , XOOM Energy, Green Mountain Energy , Stream Energy , GenOn Energy , Discount Power and Cirro Energy. As of 2018, they generate 23,000 MW of power from 40 power plants across the country. They incorporate a range of sales channels for retail customers, including call centers, direct sales, websites, brokers, and brick-and-mortar stores. Their wholesale generation services include plant operations, commercial operations, energy services, distributed generation services, and energy, procurement, and construction (EPC) services. NRG Energy
5916-679: The EVgo charging network to Vision Ridge Partners, a Colorado-based sustainable - energy investment firm, for an undisclosed amount. In December 2019, LS Power signed an agreement to acquire EVgo. In January 2021, EVgo announced its plans to go public via a SPAC merger , which was completed in July 2021 with the "EVGO" ticker on the Nasdaq. In March 2021, EVgo announced plans to install chargers at midwest retail chain Meijer's superstores. Green Mountain Energy, one of NRG Energy's retail subsidiaries, signed
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#17327838031076032-546: The East, which was added to NRG Energy's retail profile. In a partnership with Cypress Creek Renewables, NRG is offering a long-term, fixed price, consumer solar energy project in June 2018. The first customer of the project is Sysco, who has signed a 10-year renewable energy agreement. Cypress Creek Renewables will build, own, and operate three solar gardens in Texas that will have a combined power capacity of 25 MW. NRG Energy will buy
6148-410: The Houston area. In 2001, Enron Corporation , a Houston company with $ 100 billion in revenue, became engulfed in an accounting scandal which bankrupted the company in 2001. Healthcare has emerged as a major industry in Houston. The Texas Medical Center is now the largest medical complex in the world and employs over 120,000 people. Three new sports stadiums opened downtown in the first decade of
6264-578: The Hudson Valley. In January 2019, NRG Community Solar became Clearway Community Solar under the parent company Clearway Energy Group. Houston Houston ( / ˈ h juː s t ən / HEW -stən ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States . Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico , it
6380-505: The NRG fleet shrunk to 23 GW but retained 2.9 million retail customers. The new fleet has 11.5 GW of generation (46% natural gas generation, 31% coal generation, and 15% oil generation) in Texas, 9.7 GW of generation in the East, and 2.6 GW of generation in the West. In March 2018, NRG Energy acquired XOOM Energy, a retail electricity provider, for $ 210 million. XOOM Energy served 300,000 customers in
6496-507: The North ; this resulted in an economic boom and produced a key shift in the city's economy toward the energy sector. The increased production of the expanded shipbuilding industry during World War II spurred Houston's growth, as did the establishment in 1961 of NASA's "Manned Spacecraft Center" (renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1973). This was the stimulus for the development of
6612-799: The Northeast, Chicago area, Gulf Coast, Southwest, Nevada, and California. Generation facilities include mostly fossil fuel power plants powered by natural gas, oil, and coal; plus four wind farms (in Texas) and six solar farms (in California, Arizona, and New Mexico). NRG also has a 44% ownership stake in the South Texas Nuclear Generating Station and a 37.5% stake in a coal power plant in Gladstone, Queensland , Australia. Some facilities use cogeneration and
6728-494: The O&;M business, and the development business for $ 1.375 billion in cash proceeds. NRG Yield had a diverse portfolio of energy generation including wind, solar, and natural gas, with a total operating capacity of 5,100 MW. The O&M platform managed 2,400 MW of renewable energy in 17 different states, and the development business had 6,400 MW of renewable generation opportunities in the project pipeline. GIP and NRG Yield purchased
6844-694: The Super Bowl, such as the George R. Brown Convention Center and the hotels where the teams were staying. NRG Energy installed 11,000 solar panels and 14 wind turbines at the Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field stadium. These renewable energy installations made the stadium the largest solar power plant in the NFL. The solar power plant produces 40% of the Eagles’ own energy and feed the energy back into
6960-401: The United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled. Nicknamed the "Bayou City", "Space City", "H-Town", and "the 713 ", Houston has become a global city , with strengths in culture, medicine, and research. The city's population comprises various ethnic and religious backgrounds, as well as a large and growing international community. Houston
7076-401: The United States. The majority of rainfall occurs between April and October (the wet season of Southeast Texas), when the moisture from the Gulf of Mexico evaporates extensively over the city. Houston has excessive ozone levels and is routinely ranked among the most ozone-polluted cities in the United States. Ground-level ozone, or smog, is Houston's predominant air pollution problem, with
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#17327838031077192-498: The United States. In 2007, Downtown had over 43 million square feet (4,000,000 m ) of office space. Centered on Post Oak Boulevard and Westheimer Road, the Uptown District boomed during the 1970s and early 1980s when a collection of midrise office buildings, hotels, and retail developments appeared along I-610 West. Uptown became one of the most prominent instances of an edge city . The tallest building in Uptown
7308-426: The United States. In 2012, they added GenOn Energy for $ 1.7 billion and in 2013, they added Edison Mission for $ 2.6 billion. This gave the company 46,000 MW total of generation capacity. In 2013, they also added a demand response company: Energy Curtailment Specialists, Inc. The business later became NRG Curtailment Solutions, Inc. During December 2015, NRG Energy released David Crane of his duty and Mauricio Gutierrez,
7424-509: The acquisition of Reliant, NRG extended its retail footprint with the acquisition of Green Mountain Energy in November 2010. In doing so, NRG also became the largest retailer of green power in the nation, providing all of its Green Mountain and many of its Reliant customers with energy derived from 100% renewable resources. NRG Energy completed its acquisition of GenOn Energy in December 2012 for $ 1.7 billion in stock and cash. The GenOn name
7540-441: The average ozone levels in Houston are lower than what is seen in most other areas of the country, as dominant winds ensure clean, marine air from the Gulf. Excessive man-made emissions in the Houston area led to a persistent increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide over the city. Such an increase, often regarded as "CO 2 urban dome", is driven by a combination of strong emissions and stagnant atmospheric conditions. Moreover, Houston
7656-980: The benefit of NRG Energy's creditors and took a $ 2 billion write-off. On May 14, 2003, NRG Energy filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. In the company's reorganization, Xcel Energy relinquished its ownership interest, and NRG Energy became an independent, public company after bankruptcy. David W. Crane joined NRG as the chief executive in December. The reorganized NRG Energy eliminated about $ 5.2 billion of corporate debt along with $ 1.2 billion of additional claims by giving equity and cash to unsecured creditors. By 2005, NRG Energy expanded again and added 7,600 MW of domestic capacity to its portfolio. The company acquired Dynegy's 50% of 1,800 MW of generation in California. They also acquired Texas GenCo in 2006, Reliant Energy in 2009, and Green Mountain Energy in 2010. The company began to focus on domestic markets and retreated from international electricity markets . By 2011, NRG Energy's generation portfolio had 25,135 MW, with only 1,000 MW outside of
7772-549: The best combination of distributed resources for every building in a given territory and showed what it was worth to each customer. NRG tested SpaceTag to gather "60 megawatts of flexible clean energy capacity for key parts of SCE's [Southern California Edison] Orange County and Los Angeles power grid". The platform, developed by NRG's Station A research team in San Francisco, was originally intended to help with customer acquisition but has since evolved. SpaceTag used data about
7888-403: The city dramatically. Such restrictions have had mixed results. Though some have blamed the city's low density, urban sprawl , and lack of pedestrian-friendliness on these policies, others have credited the city's land use patterns with providing significant affordable housing, sparing Houston the worst effects of the 2008 real estate crisis . The city issued 42,697 building permits in 2008 and
8004-435: The city have a high risk of localized flooding due to flat topography, ubiquitous low- permeability clay-silt prairie soils, and inadequate infrastructure. During the mid-2010s, Greater Houston experienced consecutive major flood events in 2015 ( "Memorial Day" ), 2016 ( "Tax Day" ), and 2017 ( Hurricane Harvey ). Overall, there have been more casualties and property loss from floods in Houston than in any other locality in
8120-608: The city in addition to Downtown , which include Uptown, the Texas Medical Center , Midtown , Greenway Plaza , Memorial City , the Energy Corridor, Westchase , and Greenspoint . Houston had the fifth-tallest skyline in North America (after New York City, Chicago , Toronto and Miami ) and 36th-tallest in the world in 2015. A seven-mile (11 km) system of tunnels and skywalks links Downtown buildings containing shops and restaurants, enabling pedestrians to avoid summer heat and rain while walking between buildings. In
8236-584: The city's aerospace industry. The Astrodome , nicknamed the " Eighth Wonder of the World ", opened in 1965 as the world's first indoor domed sports stadium. During the late 1970s, Houston had a population boom as people from the Rust Belt states moved to Texas in large numbers. The new residents came for numerous employment opportunities in the petroleum industry, created as a result of the Arab oil embargo . With
8352-419: The city. Land in some areas southeast of Houston is sinking because water has been pumped out of the ground for many years. It may be associated with slip along the faults; however, the slippage is slow and not considered an earthquake, where stationary faults must slip suddenly enough to create seismic waves. These faults also tend to move at a smooth rate in what is termed " fault creep ", which further reduces
8468-552: The company also owns 28 MW of solar distributed generation . NRG Energy owns the Indian River Power Plant near Millsboro, Delaware. The plant is a 784 MW facility that produces electricity from the combustion of coal. During 2018, NRG Energy sold four of their wholesale generation platforms: NRG Yield, Operations & Management (O&M) business, development business, and NRG's South Central business. Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) bought NRG Yield,
8584-495: The country". Houston's diversity, historically fueled by large waves of Hispanic and Latino Americans, and Asian immigrants, has been attributed to its relatively lower cost of living compared to most major cities, strong job market, and role as a hub for refugee resettlement . GenOn Energy Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
8700-553: The discovery of oil at the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont prompted the development of the Texas petroleum industry. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt approved a $ 1 million improvement project for the Houston Ship Channel. By 1910, the city's population had reached 78,800, almost doubling from a decade before. African Americans formed a large part of the city's population, numbering 23,929 people, which
8816-584: The domestic slave trade. New Orleans was the center of this trade in the Deep South, but slave dealers were in Houston. Thousands of enslaved black people lived near the city before the American Civil War . Many of them near the city worked on sugar and cotton plantations, while most of those in the city limits had domestic and artisan jobs. In 1840, the community established a chamber of commerce, in part to promote shipping and navigation at
8932-740: The end of 2017, 75% of JPMorgan Chase's facilities ran on wind energy provided through NRG Energy's Buckthorn wind farm in Erath County . In 2018, NRG Energy was recognized for supporting the environment in the Hudson Valley through NRG Community Solar. The community solar company builds solar farms with industrial grade solar panels that produces and delivers clean energy directly to the power grid. This allows residents who cannot purchase rooftop solar to invest in solar energy generation and receive solar credits on their utility bills. The solar farms are maintained year-round, creating local jobs in
9048-414: The energy and schedule, distribute and manage the energy for Sysco. The solar project is expected to come online by the first quarter of 2019. The solar installations are expected to provide 10 percent of Sysco's electricity nationwide by generating 25 megawatts of power. NRG Energy is offering solar renewable program contracts for 7–10 years, with the ability to customize the program. The company also assumes
9164-537: The erosion of the Rocky Mountains . These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on decaying organic marine matter, that over time, transformed into oil and natural gas. Beneath the layers of sediment is a water-deposited layer of halite , a rock salt. The porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments into salt dome formations, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from
9280-582: The first known settlers arrived. These tribes are almost nonexistent today; this was most likely caused by foreign disease, and competition with various settler groups in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, the land then remained largely uninhabited from the late 1700s until settlement in the 1830s. The Allen brothers— Augustus Chapman and John Kirby —explored town sites on Buffalo Bayou and Galveston Bay . According to historian David McComb, "[T]he brothers, on August 26, 1836, bought from Elizabeth E. Parrott, wife of T.F.L. Parrott and widow of John Austin,
9396-499: The first time that May. The Republic of Texas granted Houston incorporation on June 5, 1837, as James S. Holman became its first mayor. In the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County (now Harris County). In 1839, the Republic of Texas relocated its capital to Austin . The town suffered another setback that year when a yellow fever epidemic claimed about one life for every eight residents, yet it persisted as
9512-448: The grid is down, and it could shave 10 to 15 percent off energy bills by running it as part of an aggregated fleet of an "estimated hundreds of megawatts capacity". The backup generators help gas stations, supermarkets, ATMs, and other everyday life necessities during power outages from hurricanes or other natural disasters. In April 2017, NRG Energy publicly mentioned its in-house analytics platform SpaceTag. The analytics engine found
9628-599: The grid, which they buy back from NRG at a discounted rate. The Eagles and NRG Energy are in a multi-year corporate sponsorship agreement that helps the Eagles regulate their energy costs. New York State Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas has been chair of a coalition to support the utility in their plan to replace its power plant in Astoria with a newer generator. The company stated its intention in 2012 to replace 31 older oil generators with new gas generators that will increase
9744-436: The highest point in far northwest Houston is about 150 feet (46 m) in elevation. The city once relied on groundwater for its needs, but land subsidence forced the city to turn to ground-level water sources such as Lake Houston , Lake Conroe , and Lake Livingston . The city owns surface water rights for 1.20 billion U.S. gallons (4.5 Gl) of water a day in addition to 150 million U.S. gallons (570 Ml)
9860-616: The increase in professional jobs, Houston has become a destination for many college-educated persons, most recently including African Americans in a reverse Great Migration from northern areas. In 1997, Houstonians elected Lee P. Brown as the city's first African American mayor. Houston has continued to grow into the 21st century, with the population increasing 15.7% from 2000 to 2022. Oil and gas have continued to fuel Houston's economic growth, with major oil companies including Phillips 66 , ConocoPhillips , Occidental Petroleum , Halliburton , and ExxonMobil having their headquarters in
9976-516: The main entrance. The solar panel canopies also offer weather protection and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 800 metric tons a year. In 2013, NRG Energy helped the San Francisco 49ers Stadium gain LEED certification by installing three solar array-covered bridges, a solar canopy over the green roof on the suite tower, and solar panels over the 49ers training center. The solar arrays have
10092-570: The metro area, and an event on December 7, 2017, which precipitated 0.7 inches (2 cm) of snowfall. Snowfalls of at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) on both December 10, 2008, and December 4, 2009, marked the first time measurable snowfall had occurred in two consecutive years in the city's recorded history. Overall, Houston has seen measurable snowfall 38 times between 1895 and 2018. On February 14 and 15, 1895, Houston received 20 inches (51 cm) of snow, its largest snowfall from one storm on record. The coldest temperature officially recorded in Houston
10208-611: The national record for rainfall. The damage for the Houston area was estimated at up to $ 125 billion U.S. dollars , and was considered to be one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States , with the death toll exceeding 70 people. Houston's lack of zoning laws allowed unregulated building of residential homes and other structures in flood-prone areas. However, it also resulted in more concentrated development in already urban areas than in wetlands and suburbs. Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted of Hurricane Harvey that "zoning wouldn't have changed anything. We would have been
10324-461: The new floodplain regulations, the developers needed to elevate the lowest floors two feet above the 500-year floodplain, equivalent to five or six feet above the 100-year base flood elevation, and build a channel to direct stormwater runoff toward detention basins. Before Hurricane Harvey, the city had bought $ 10.7 million in houses in this area specifically to take them out of danger. In addition to developing new streets and single-family housing within
10440-561: The new name and ticker symbol (CWEN and CWEN.A) in the New York Stock Exchange on September 17. These sales are estimated to reduce NRG Energy's debt by $ 7 billion and reduce their energy generation portfolio from 50,000 MW (50 GW) to 24,000 MW (24 GW). In March 2018, the company planned to hasten its transition from an independent power producer model (IPP) to a customer driven integrated power model that favored retail businesses. After GenOn's exit in 2018,
10556-491: The newly created port on Buffalo Bayou. By 1860, Houston had emerged as a commercial and railroad hub for the export of cotton. Railroad spurs from the Texas inland converged in Houston, where they met rail lines to the ports of Galveston and Beaumont . During the American Civil War, Houston served as a headquarters for Confederate Major General John B. Magruder , who used the city as an organization point for
10672-423: The normal mean temperature at George Bush Intercontinental Airport is 53 °F (12 °C), with an average of 13 days per year with a low at or below 32 °F (0 °C), occurring on average between December 3 and February 20, allowing for a growing season of 286 days. Twenty-first century snow events in Houston include a storm on December 24, 2004 , which saw 1 inch (3 cm) of snow accumulate in parts of
10788-489: The notional town in honor of Sam Houston, who would become President later that year. They successfully lobbied the Republic of Texas Congress to designate Houston as the temporary capital, agreeing to provide the new government with a state capitol building. About a dozen persons resided in the town at the beginning of 1837, but that number grew to about 1,500 by the time the Texas Congress convened in Houston for
10904-425: The physical attributes of a building, how it was used, and existing energy data to create an energy performance portfolio and then assessed its location in the power grid. It also used data from the distributed energy equipment, including its capital cost, associated costs of providing generation, the demand-reduction attributes over time, and the best mix of technology on the building and portfolio level. After SpaceTag
11020-740: The plant. NRG Energy took over the O&M for two more Texas plants in November 2016. The two facilities, Mustang and Antelope Elk Energy Center, are owned by Golden Spread Electric Cooperative Inc. Mustang is a natural gas turbine plant in Denver City that produces 958 MW of power. Antelope Elk Energy Center is also a natural gas facility located in Abernathy that creates 744 MW of power. In 2016, NRG Energy oversaw O&M for nine other generation facilities and had 9.2 GW portfolio. By 2018, NRG Energy maintained 2.4 GW of renewable power through their O&M operations in 17 different states. They sold
11136-485: The port decreased and shipping activities were suspended; however, the war did provide economic benefits for the city. Petrochemical refineries and manufacturing plants were constructed along the ship channel because of the demand for petroleum and synthetic rubber products by the defense industry during the war. Ellington Field , initially built during World War I , was revitalized as an advanced training center for bombardiers and navigators. The Brown Shipbuilding Company
11252-448: The postwar years. In 1945, the M.D. Anderson Foundation formed the Texas Medical Center . After the war, Houston's economy reverted to being primarily port-driven. In 1948, the city annexed several unincorporated areas, more than doubling its size. Houston proper began to spread across the region. In 1950, the availability of air conditioning provided impetus for many companies to relocate to Houston, where wages were lower than those in
11368-1070: The renewable O&M business, along with NRG Yield and NRG's renewable energy development and operations, to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) for $ 1.375 billion in cash. NRG's Retail Power services provide electricity services to more than 3 million customers, mostly in Texas and the Northeast. In March 2014, NRG Energy acquired Dominion Resources Inc. and Cirro Energy, growing their retail electric customer base by 30 percent. It adds about 600,000 accounts to its existing 2 million residential and commercial customers. Dominion's retail electricity customers were mainly in Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania; Cirro mainly served residential and business customers in Texas. NRG Energy operates Cirro Energy under Cirro's name. In 2014, NRG Energy had two other retail electricity services, Reliant Energy and Green Mountain. By 2018, NRG Energy added Pennywise Power to its retail electricity portfolio. They picked up
11484-505: The risk of an earthquake. The city of Houston was incorporated in 1837 and adopted a ward system of representation shortly afterward, in 1840. The six original wards of Houston are the progenitors of the 11 modern-day geographically oriented Houston City Council districts, though the city abandoned the ward system in 1905 in favor of a commission government , and, later, the existing mayor–council government . Locations in Houston are generally classified as either being inside or outside
11600-462: The risk of wholesale pricing fluctuation. In July 2018, NRG and GenOn consummated the NRG settlement resulting in NRG Energy paying GenOn Energy $ 125 million in a net payment during GenOn's chapter 11 bankruptcy agreement. The deal would help GenOn revamp its capital structure and reemerge with new debt instruments. In November 2023, Mauricio Gutierrez resigned from his role as CEO. Larry Coben
11716-515: The south half of the lower league [2,214-acre (896 ha) tract] granted to her by her late husband. They paid $ 5,000 total, but only $ 1,000 of this in cash; notes made up the remainder." This was financed by assets inherited by Augustus's wife, Charlotte Baldwin Allen . The Allen brothers ran their first advertisement for Houston just four days later in the Telegraph and Texas Register , naming
11832-475: The south of Houston and Downtown Houston. The ship channel continues past Galveston and then into the Gulf of Mexico. Houston is a flat, marshy area where an extensive drainage system has been built. The adjoining prairie land drains into the city, which is prone to flooding. Underpinning Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays, clay shales, and poorly cemented sands up to several miles deep. The region's geology developed from river deposits formed from
11948-421: The summer, temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 106.5 days per year, including a majority of days from June to September. Additionally, an average of 4.6 days per year reach or exceed 100 °F (37.8 °C). Houston's characteristic subtropical humidity often results in a higher apparent temperature , and summer mornings average over 90% relative humidity . Air conditioning
12064-466: The surrounding porous sands. The thick, rich, sometimes black, surface soil is suitable for rice farming in suburban outskirts where the city continues to grow. The Houston area has over 150 active faults (estimated to be 300 active faults ) with an aggregate length of up to 310 miles (500 km), including the Long Point–Eureka Heights fault system which runs through the center of
12180-599: The urban core. In addition to Interstate 610, two additional loop highways encircle the city: Beltway 8 , with a radius of approximately 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown, and State Highway 99 (the Grand Parkway), with a radius of 25 miles (40 km). Approximately 470,000 people lived within the Interstate 610 loop, while 1.65 million lived between Interstate 610 and Beltway 8 and 2.25 million lived within Harris County outside Beltway 8 in 2015. Though Houston
12296-617: The year. These 12 units still collect annual revenues from the NYISO's capacity market for not producing energy. For example, at 6.40 ($ /kW – Month), the 12 actively listed facilities would produce an annual capacity market revenue of $ 42.8 million for NRG. It is unclear if the 7 deactivated units still collect capacity market revenues. In July 2017, NRG filed a request with the New York State Public Service Commission to avoid Article 10 siting procedures for
12412-565: Was $ 210 million, which includes working capital and $ 6 million in transaction costs. It was an all-cash transaction that was funded with $ 75 million from excess cash and $ 135 million in debt. NRG Energy stated that the acquisition would serve to balance NRG's generation portfolio in the east. In May 2019, NRG agreed to purchase Stream Energy for $ 300 million. The deal was finalized that August. In July 2020, NRG Energy and Centrica entered an agreement under which NRG would acquire Direct Energy for $ 3.625 billion in an all-cash transaction. The deal
12528-481: Was 33.1, up from 32.9 in 2017 and down from 33.5 in 2014; the city's youthfulness has been attributed to an influx of an African American New Great Migration , Hispanic and Latino American, and Asian immigrants into Texas. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. There were 987,158 housing units in 2019 and 876,504 households. An estimated 42.3% of Houstonians owned housing units, with an average of 2.65 people per household. The median monthly owner costs with
12644-484: Was 5 °F (−15 °C) on January 18, 1930. The last time Houston saw single digit temperatures was on December 23, 1989. The temperature dropped to 7 °F (−14 °C) at Bush Airport, marking the coldest temperature ever recorded there. 1.7 inches of snow fell at George Bush Intercontinental Airport the previous day. Houston generally receives ample rainfall, averaging about 49.8 in (1,260 mm) annually based on records between 1981 and 2010. Many parts of
12760-501: Was approved in January 2021, adding more than 3 million retail customers across 50 US states and 6 Canadian provinces. In December 2022, NRG announced the acquisition of Vivint Smart Home for $ 2.8 billion in cash, adding home security and automation to its vast product offer, expected to close in the first quarter of 2023. NRG Energy holds the naming rights to the NRG Park campus (formerly Reliant Park) in Houston , Texas , home to
12876-545: Was formed in 1989 as one of NSP's wholly-owned subsidiaries. In 1997, NRG Energy, Inc. had 2,650 MW of generation and operational responsibility for a supplementary 5,374 MW. By 1998, the company began an aggressive acquisition campaign. It bought plants from Niagara Mohawk, San Diego Gas and Electric, Consolidated Edison, Montaup Electric, Rochester Gas and Electric, and Connecticut Light & Power. They continued to grow through acquisitions and in 2000, acquired Cajun Electric Power Cooperative's facilities. In 2001, NRG Energy had
12992-582: Was founded in 1942 to build ships for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Due to the boom in defense jobs, thousands of new workers migrated to the city, both black, and white people competing for the higher-paying jobs. President Roosevelt had established a policy of nondiscrimination for defense contractors, and black people gained some opportunities, especially in shipbuilding, although not without resistance from white people and increasing social tensions that erupted into occasional violence. Economic gains of black people who entered defense industries continued in
13108-477: Was named Interim President and CEO. When the state of Texas deregulated the electricity market, Houston Industries , the parent company of Houston Lighting & Power (HL&P), was broken up. In 2003, Houston Industries was split into three companies. The power plants went to Texas Genco , CenterPoint Energy took over the distribution system, and the retail and wholesale electricity business became Reliant Energy . In 2006, NRG Energy bought Texas Genco from
13224-400: Was nearly one-third of Houston's residents. President Woodrow Wilson opened the deep-water Port of Houston in 1914, seven years after digging began. By 1930, Houston had become Texas's most populous city and Harris County the most populous county. In 1940, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Houston's population as 77.5% White and 22.4% black. When World War II started, tonnage levels at
13340-417: Was ranked first in the list of healthiest housing markets for 2009. In 2019, home sales reached a new record of $ 30 billion. In referendums in 1948, 1962, and 1993, voters rejected efforts to establish separate residential and commercial land-use districts. Consequently, rather than a single central business district as the center of the city's employment, multiple districts and skylines have grown throughout
13456-445: Was retired in the merger, but the combined company retained GenOn's Houston headquarters to coordinate operations. That company, in turn, had been formed out of the merger of RRI Energy and Mirant Corporation in 2010. In August 2013, NRG acquired Energy Curtailment Specialists, a Buffalo, New York-based Demand response company. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. In March 2014, NRG Energy acquired Roof Diagnostics Solar (RDS),
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