NRG Energy to Launch New Retail Natural Gas Supplier

NRG Energy is launching a new retail natural gas supplier.

Specifically, NRG Energy is bringing back the Independence Energy brand for a retail natural gas supplier, as Independence Energy Group LLC is seeking a natural gas supplier license in Pennsylvania.

Independence Energy is seeking a Pennsylvania natural gas supplier license to serve residential and commercial customers at Columbia Gas, Peoples Natural Gas Company, and Equitable Gas.

Independence Energy was formerly NRG's network marketing arm, acquired through NRG's purchase of Energy Plus. The Independence Energy brand was shelved in early 2013, as NRG elected to move away from a network marketing strategy.

NRG told Matters last month that Independence Energy was not being brought back as a network marketing channel, and that the renewed use of the brand was intended to give NRG more options in serving retail customers.

To date, NRG has not emphasized natural gas sales as part of its retail business, with its relatively limited coverage in retail natural gas markets arising only due to its acquisition of Energy Plus (with Energy Plus' active gas markets consisting of Ohio, New York, and New Jersey).

However, natural gas has been repeatedly talked about by NRG Energy CEO David Crane as part of the future of retail energy, as Crane envisions distributed generation powered by a mix of natural gas and solar as allowing customers to cut-the-cord from their local electric utility. The use of the brand "Independence" Energy would certainly dovetail with this vision.

The NRG Beacon 10 distributed generation solution, currently in testing (click here for exclusive EnergyChoiceMatters.com story), relies on natural gas as one of its power sources.