Reliant Energy and NRG Energy Services, both NRG Energy, Inc. companies (NYSE: NRG), together have developed NRG Reliability AdvantageSM, a turn-key service that provides back-up power generation to mid- and large-commercial customers, governments, hospitals, data centers, grocery stores and any other facility with critical power needs.
NRG Reliability AdvantageSMjoins NRG Energy Services' expertise in installing, maintaining and operating electric generation equipment together with Reliant Energy's best-in-class customer service and energy solutions platform. The service, offered by NRG Energy Services, includes installation, maintenance and operation of back-up generation equipment, as well as a guaranteed supply of fuel during an emergency and, if needed, replacement equipment. All equipment is monitored from the NRG's Houston Operations Center by the same skilled technicians who monitor NRG's generation fleet in Texas and across the country.
"With NRG Reliability AdvantageSM, Texas businesses, governments and institutions can be sure that their critical power needs will always be met, even if grid power is not available," said Tom Gros, senior vice president, Reliant Energy. "Customers will benefit from our operations expertise, comprehensive understanding of the Texas electricity market and our ability to tailor solutions to meet the needs of even the largest government and commercial customers."
The City of Houston recently contracted with NRG Energy Services to provide emergency back-up power generation services for the city's drinking water system. The agreement enables the city to meet the requirements of Texas Senate Bill 361, passed by the legislature in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, which requires municipal water utilities to provide back-up generation to ensure water delivery in the event of a sustained power outage.
Under the contract with the City of Houston, NRG will provide the permits, equipment, installation, periodic testing, 24/7 operations and maintenance for 48 megawatts of utility-grade, back-up power generation to support emergency operation of several of Houston's drinking water production facilities for a period of 20 years. Having a contract in place for these services provides a number of strategic benefits to the city:
——The city complies with the recent law without the significant upfront investment and annual costs to procure, maintain and operate the equipment;
——In the event of significant emergencies, Houston will be well-equipped to continue providing drinking water by using a standardized modular reliability system;
——Complete support will be in place for 20 years, with continuous monitoring to ensure that equipment and systems are maintained ready.