

NEWS
RELEASE
                                                  EXHIBIT  99.01

        NRG ENERGY SELLS PORTION OF INTEREST IN ENFIELD ENERGY CENTRE TO
                          EL PASO ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

     MINNEAPOLIS  (December  28,  1998) - NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG), a wholly-owned
subsidiary  of  Northern  States  Power Company (NYSE: NSP), announced today the
sale  by  an  NRG  affiliate  of  one-half of its 50 percent interest in Enfield
Energy  Centre  Ltd.  (EECL) to an affiliate of El Paso Energy International for
$26.2  million,  resulting  in  an  after-tax gain to NRG of $16.6 million.  The
remaining  50  percent interest in EECL is held by an affiliate of Chicago-based
Indeck  Energy  Services,  Inc.
     
     EECL  was  established  in  1993  to  construct,  own  and operate a 396 MW
combined-cycle  gas  turbine  generation  facility  located  in  the  Borough of
Enfield,  North  London,  England.  Financial  close for the project occurred in
December of 1997.  Construction is on schedule and the project is expected to be
operational  by  October  1999.
     
     NRG  and  El  Paso  have  an  existing business relationship related to the
ownership  of Energy Center Kladno (ECK) and together have majority ownership in
the  Energy  Center  Kladno  Generating  (ECKG)  facility  currently  under
constructionin  Kladno,  Czech  Republic.
"This  transaction  further solidifies the partnership between NRG and El Paso,"
commented  David H. Peterson, chairman, president and chief executive officer of
NRG.    "NRG values our business relationship with El Paso and hopes to continue
joint  participation in additional project investments in Europe and elsewhere."
     
     NRG is one of the world's leading independent power producers, specializing
in  the  development,  construction,  operation,  maintenance  and  ownership of
low-cost, environmentally-sensitive power plants. Established in 1989, NRG has a
low-risk,  high  quality portfolio of projects in the United States, Europe, the
Pacific  Rim,  and Latin America.  NRG is involved in approximately 13,000 MW of
projects utilizing diverse fuel types including natural and landfill gas, hydro,
and  solid  fuels  such  as  coal,  lignite,  bio-mass  and refuse-derived fuel.
Certain  information included in this press release contains statements that are
forward-looking.    Such  forward-looking  information  involves  risks  and
uncertainties  that could significantly affect anticipated results in the future
and,  accordingly,  such  results  may  differ  from  those  expressed  in  any
forward-looking  statements  made  by  or  on  behalf  of  NRG.
For  more  information  regarding  these  risks  and uncertainties, review NRG's
filings  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission.
                                       ###
CONTACT:
Trudy  Marshall
Director  Communications
612/373-5410

