SEC Form 4

FORM 4		UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* CRANE DAVID W (Last) (First) (Middle) NRG ENERGY, INC. 211 CARNEGIE CENTER (Street) PRINCETON NJ 08540 (City) (State) (Zip)	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 and CEO
	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 01/02/2009
	4. If Amendment, Date of 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

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	01/02/2009		A		31,600(1)	D	(2)	362,100(3)	D
Common Stock, par value .01 per share	01/03/2009		F		11,654	D	(4)	350,446	D

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 Securities Underlying Derivative Security (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: 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
Non-Qualified Stock Options	$23.64	01/02/2009		A		257,300		01/02/2010(5)	01/02/2015(6)	Common Stock, par value $.01 per share	257,300	$0.00	257,300	D
Performance Units	(7)	01/02/2009		A		122,800		01/02/2012(7)	01/02/2012	Common stock, par value $.01 per share	122,800	$0.00	122,800	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Represents Restricted Stock Units issued to Mr. Crane by NRG Energy, Inc. under NRG Energy, Inc.'s Long Term Incentive Plan.

2. Each Restricted Stock Unit is equivalent in value to one share of NRG Energy, Inc.'s Common Stock, par value $0.01. Mr. Crane will receive from NRG Energy, Inc. one such share of Common Stock for each Restricted Stock Unit on January 2, 2012.

3. Includes 1,008 shares acquired under NRG Energy, Inc.'s Employee Stock Purchase Plan on December 31, 2008.

4. On January 3, 2006, Mr. Crane was issued 34,000 Restricted Stock Units ("RSU's") by NRG Energy, Inc. under NRG Energy, Inc.'s Long Term Incentive Plan (the "LTIP"). Each RSU is equivalent in value to one share of NRG's Common Stock, par value $0.01. On January 3, 2009, the RSUs vested. Pursuant to the LTIP, Mr. Crane elected to satisfy his tax withholding obligation upon the exchange of common stock for RSUs by surrendering a number of shares of common stock having a value on the date of the exchange equal to the tax withholding obligation. This form is being filed to reflect the surrender of 11,654 shares of common stock to satisfy the grantee's tax withholding obligation.

5. Pursuant to the Grant Agreement by and between NRG Energy, Inc. and Mr. Crane, the Stock Options will vest and become exercisable as follows: 33 1/3% on January 2, 2010, 33 1/3% on January 2, 2011 and 33 1/3% on January 2, 2012.

6. Stock options expire six years from the date of grant.

7. Mr. Crane was issued 61,400 Performance Units by NRG Energy, Inc. under NRG Energy, Inc.'s Long Term Incentive Plan on January 2, 2009. Each Performance Unit will be paid out on January 2, 2012 if the closing price of NRG's Common Stock January 2, 2012 (the "Measurement Price") is equal to or greater than $30.61 (the "Threshold Price"). The payout for each PU will be equal to a pro-rated amount in between one-half and one share of common stock if the Measurement Price equals or exceeds the Threshold Price but less than $33.21 (the "Target Price"). The payout for each PU will be equal to a pro-rated amount in between one and two shares of common stock if the Measurement Price is equal to the Target Price but less than $38.84 (the "Maximum Price"). The payout for each PU will be equal to two shares of common stock if the Measurement Price is equal to or greater than the Maximum Price.

Remarks:

	/s/David Crane	01/06/2009
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* 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).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
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 Number.