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Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefits (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Schedule of Net Benefit Cost (Credit) Related to Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Components [Table Text Block]
The annual net periodic benefit cost/(credit) related to NRG's pension and other postretirement benefit plans include the following components:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Pension Benefits
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
(In millions)
Service cost benefits earned
$
26

 
$
30

 
$
32

Interest cost on benefit obligation
43

 
43

 
53

Expected return on plan assets
(58
)
 
(60
)
 
(62
)
Amortization of unrecognized net loss
4

 
2

 
2

Net periodic benefit cost
$
15

 
$
15

 
$
25

 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Other Postretirement Benefits
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
(In millions)
Service cost benefits earned
$
1

 
$
2

 
$
3

Interest cost on benefit obligation
4

 
6

 
9

Amortization of unrecognized prior service credit
(9
)
 
(5
)
 
(5
)
Amortization of unrecognized net (gain)/loss
(1
)
 
—

 
1

Curtailment gain
—

 
—

 
(14
)
Net periodic benefit (credit)/cost
$
(5
)
 
$
3

 
$
(6
)
Schedule of Comparison of Pension Benefit obligation, Other Postretirement Benefit Obligations and Related Plan Assets on a Combined Basis
A comparison of the pension benefit obligation, other postretirement benefit obligations and related plan assets for NRG's plans on a combined basis is as follows:
 
As of December 31,
 
Pension Benefits
 
Other Postretirement
Benefits
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
 
(In millions)
Benefit obligation at January 1
$
1,241

 
$
1,196

 
$
128

 
$
178

Service cost
26

 
30

 
1

 
2

Interest cost
43

 
43

 
4

 
6

Plan amendments
—

 
—

 
(1
)
 
(42
)
Actuarial loss/(gain)
77

 
40

 
6

 
(2
)
Employee and retiree contributions
—

 
—

 
3

 
3

Benefit payments
(58
)
 
(68
)
 
(13
)
 
(17
)
Benefit obligation at December 31
1,329

 
1,241

 
128

 
128

Fair value of plan assets at January 1
953

 
916

 
—

 
—

Actual return on plan assets
173

 
72

 
—

 
—

Employee and retiree contributions
—

 
—

 
3

 
3

Employer contributions
36

 
33

 
10

 
14

Benefit payments
(58
)
 
(68
)
 
(13
)
 
(17
)
Fair value of plan assets at December 31
1,104

 
953

 
—

 
—

Funded status at December 31 — excess of obligation over assets
$
(225
)
 
$
(288
)
 
$
(128
)
 
$
(128
)
Less: GenOn postretirement obligation(a)
—

 
—

 
38

 
46

Add: Retained obligation in bankruptcy proceeding(a)
—

 
—

 
(25
)
 
(25
)
Net obligation for NRG
$
(225
)
 
$
(288
)
 
$
(115
)
 
$
(107
)

(a)
The difference between GenOn's postretirement benefit obligation and NRG's retained obligation of $13 million and $21 million is presented in noncurrent liabilities for discontinued operations as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet
Amounts recognized in NRG's balance sheets were as follows:
 
As of December 31,
 
Pension Benefits
 
Other Postretirement
Benefits
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
 
(In millions)
Current liabilities
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
7

 
$
8

Less: GenOn other postretirement benefits(a)
—

 
—

 
(3
)
 
(5
)
Total current liabilities
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
4

 
$
3

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-current liabilities
$
225

 
$
288

 
$
121

 
$
120

Less: GenOn other postretirement benefits(a)
—

 
—

 
(10
)
 
(16
)
Total non-current liabilities
$
225

 
$
288

 
$
111

 
$
104


(a)
The difference between GenOn's postretirement benefit obligation and NRG's retained obligation of $13 million and $21 million is presented in noncurrent liabilities for discontinued operations as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Schedule of Amounts Recognized in OCI Not Yet Recognized as Components of Net Periodic Benefit Costs
Amounts recognized in NRG's accumulated OCI that have not yet been recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost were as follows:
 
As of December 31,
 
Pension Benefits
 
Other Postretirement
Benefits
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
 
(In millions)
Net loss/(gain)
$
53

 
$
94

 
$
(4
)
 
$
(11
)
Prior service cost/(credit)
3

 
3

 
(37
)
 
(45
)
Total accumulated OCI
$
56

 
$
97

 
$
(41
)
 
$
(56
)
Less: GenOn (deconsolidated June 14, 2017)
(22
)
 
(37
)
 
10

 
8

Net accumulated OCI
$
34

 
$
60

 
$
(31
)
 
$
(48
)
Schedule of Changes in Plan Assets and Benefit Obligations Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in OCI were as follows:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Pension
Benefits
 
Other Postretirement
Benefits
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
 
(In millions)
Net actuarial (gain)/loss
$
(37
)
 
$
28

 
$
6

 
$
(2
)
Amortization of net actuarial (gain)/loss
(4
)
 
(2
)
 
1

 
—

Prior service credit
—

 
—

 
(1
)
 
(41
)
Amortization of prior service cost
—

 
—

 
9

 
5

Total recognized in OCI
$
(41
)
 
$
26

 
$
15

 
$
(38
)
Less: GenOn (deconsolidated June 14, 2017)
15

 
$
(17
)
 
$
2

 
$
3

Net recognized in OCI
$
(26
)
 
$
9

 
$
17

 
$
(35
)
Less: GenOn (deconsolidated June 14, 2017)
15

 
(17
)
 
3

 
3

Net recognized in net periodic pension (credit)/cost and OCI
$
(11
)
 
$
24

 
$
13

 
$
39
Schedule of Benefit Obligations Significant Components
The following table presents the balances of significant components of NRG's pension plan:
 
As of December 31,
 
Pension Benefits
 
2017
 
2016
 
(In millions)
Projected benefit obligation
$
1,329

 
$
1,241

Accumulated benefit obligation
1,255

 
1,174

Fair value of plan assets
1,104

 
953
Schedule of Fair Value of Pension Plan Assets by Asset Category and Level within the Fair Value Hierarchy
NRG's market-related value of its plan assets is the fair value of the assets. The fair values of the Company's pension plan assets by asset category and their level within the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
 
Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2017
 
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
 
Significant
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
 
Total
 
(In millions)
Common/collective trust investment — U.S. equity
$
—

 
$
256

 
$
256

Common/collective trust investment — non-U.S. equity
—

 
66

 
66

Common/collective trust investment — non-core assets
—

 
178

 
178

Common/collective trust investment — fixed income
—

 
230

 
230

Short-term investment fund
5

 
—

 
5

Subtotal fair value
$
5

 
$
730

 
$
735

Measured at net asset value practical expedient


 


 


Common/collective trust investment — non-U.S. equity


 


 
94

Common/collective trust investment — fixed income


 


 
233

Partnerships/joint ventures


 


 
42

Total fair value


 


 
$
1,104

 
Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2016
 
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
 
Significant
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
 
Total
 
(In millions)
Common/collective trust investment — U.S. equity
$
—

 
$
283

 
$
283

Common/collective trust investment — non-U.S. equity
—

 
71

 
71

Common/collective trust investment — global equity
—

 
104

 
104

Common/collective trust investment — fixed income
—

 
190

 
190

Short-term investment fund
3

 
—

 
3

Subtotal fair value
$
3

 
$
648

 
$
651

Measured at net asset value practical expedient


 


 


Common/collective trust investment — non-U.S. equity


 


 
78

Common/collective trust investment — fixed income


 


 
193

Partnerships/joint ventures


 


 
31

Total fair value


 


 
$
953
Schedule of Assumptions Used to Calculate Benefit Expense
The following table presents the significant assumptions used to calculate NRG's benefit obligations:
 
As of December 31,
 
Pension Benefits
 
Other Postretirement Benefits
Weighted-Average Assumptions
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
Discount rate
3.71
%
 
4.26
%
 
3.71
%
 
4.29
%
Rate of compensation increase
3.00
%
 
3.00
%
 
N/A

 
N/A

Health care trend rate
—

 
—

 
8.2% grading to 4.5% in 2025

 
7.0% grading to 5.0% in 2025


The following table presents the significant assumptions used to calculate NRG's benefit expense:
 
As of December 31,
 
Pension Benefits
 
Other Postretirement Benefits
Weighted-Average Assumptions
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
Discount rate
4.26
%
 
4.52
%
 
4.16
%
 
4.29
%
 
4.55
%
 
4.20
%
Expected return on plan assets
6.85
%
 
6.65
%
 
6.36
%
 
—

 
—

 
—

Rate of compensation increase
3.00
%
 
3.00
%
 
3.45
%
 
—

 
—

 
—

Health care trend rate
—

 
—

 
—

 
7.0% grading to 5.0% in 2025


7.25% grading to 5.0% in 2025


8.6% grading to 5.0% in 2023
Schedule of Target Allocation of Pension Plan Assets
The target allocations of NRG's pension plan assets were as follows for the year ended December 31, 2017:
U.S. equity
22
%
Non-U.S. equity
14
%
Non-core assets
19
%
U.S. fixed income
45
%
Schedule of Performance Benchmarks [Table Text Block]
Performance benchmarks are composed of the following indices:
Asset Class
 
Index
U.S. equities
 
Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index
Non-U.S. equities
 
MSCI All Country World Ex-U.S. IMI Index
Non-core assets(a)
 
Various (per underlying asset class)
Fixed income securities
 
Barclays Capital Long Term Government/Credit Index & Barclays Strips 20+ Index
(a)
Non-Core Assets are defined as diversifying asset classes approved by the Investment Committee that are intended to enhance returns and/or reduce volatility of the U.S. and non-U.S. equities. Asset classes considered Non-Core include, but may not be limited to: Emerging Market Equity, Emerging Market Debt, Non-US Developed Market Small Cap, High Yield Fixed Income, Real Estate, Bank Loans, Global Infrastructure and other Alternatives.
Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments
NRG's expected future benefit payments for each of the next five years, and in the aggregate for the five years thereafter, are as follows:
 
 
 
Other Postretirement Benefit
 
Pension
Benefit Payments
 
Benefit Payments
 
Medicare Prescription Drug Reimbursements
 
(In millions)
2018
$
68

 
$
7

 
$
—

2019
71

 
8

 
—

2020
75

 
8

 
—

2021
79

 
8

 
—

2022
82

 
8

 
—

2023-2027
421

 
33

 
1
Schedule of Effect of One-Percentage-Point Change in Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates
Assumed health care cost trend rates have a significant effect on the amounts reported for the health care plans. A one-percentage-point change in assumed health care cost trend rates would have the following effect:
 
1-Percentage-
Point Increase
 
1-Percentage-
Point Decrease
 
(In millions)
Effect on total service and interest cost components
$
1

 
$
—

Effect on postretirement benefit obligation
9

 
(8
)
Schedule of Benefit Costs and Other Changes Recognized in the Financial Statements Related to its Interest in STP
The Company has recognized the following in its statement of financial position, statement of operations and accumulated OCI related to its 44% interest in STP:
 
As of December 31,
 
Pension Benefits
 
Other Postretirement Benefits
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
 
(In millions)
Funded status — STPNOC benefit plans
$
(76
)
 
$
(74
)
 
$
(24
)
 
$
(23
)
Net periodic benefit cost/(credit)
8

 
7

 
(3
)
 
(2
)
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive (loss)/income
(6
)
 
11

 
5

 
(1
)
Defined Contribution Plan Contributions
The Company's contributions to these plans were as follows:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
(In millions)
Company contributions to defined contribution plans
$
56

 
$
55

 
$
53