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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Net income/(loss) attributable to continuing and discontinued operations | The following table reflects the net income/(loss) attributable to NRG Energy, Inc. after removing the net loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest and redeemable noncontrolling interest:
| Year Ended December 31,
(In millions) | 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Income from continuing operations, net of income tax | $ | 510 |  |  | $ | 4,117 |  |  | $ | 465 |
Income/(loss) from discontinued operations, net of income tax | — |  |  | 321 |  |  | (197) |
Net income attributable to NRG Energy, Inc. stockholders | $ | 510 |  |  | $ | 4,438 |  |  | $ | 268 |
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss | The following table represents the activity in the allowance for credit losses for the year ended December 31, 2020:
(In millions) | Year Ended December 31, 2020
Beginning balance | $ | 43 |
Provision for credit losses | 108 |
Write-offs | (101) |
Recoveries collected | 17 |
Ending balance | $ | 67 |
Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash and cash equivalents | The following table provides a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and funds deposited by counterparties reported within the consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the statements of cash flows.
| Year Ended December 31,
(In millions) | 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 3,905 |  |  | $ | 345 |  |  | $ | 563 |
Funds deposited by counterparties | 19 |  |  | 32 |  |  | 33 |
Restricted cash | 6 |  |  | 8 |  |  | 17 |
Cash and cash equivalents, funds deposited by counterparties and restricted cash shown in the statements of cash flows | $ | 3,930 |  |  | $ | 385 |  |  | $ | 613 |
Detail of supplemental disclosures of cash flow and non-cash investing and financing information was:
| Year Ended December 31,
(In millions) | 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Interest paid, net of amount capitalized | $ | 340 |  |  | $ | 372 |  |  | $ | 436 |
Income taxes paid, net of refunds | 24 |  |  | 8 |  |  | 9 |
Non-cash investing activities: |  |  |  |  |
(Decreases)/additions to fixed assets for accrued capital expenditures | (6) |  |  | 1 |  |  | 20 |
Changes in redeemable noncontrolling interest | The following table reflects the changes in the Company's redeemable noncontrolling interest balance for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018.
| (In millions)
Balance as of December 31, 2017 | $ | 78 |
Distributions to redeemable noncontrolling interest | (3) |
Contributions from redeemable noncontrolling interest | 26 |
Non-cash adjustments to redeemable noncontrolling interest | (8) |
Net income attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest - continuing operations | 1 |
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest - discontinued operations | (27) |
Sale of NRG Yield and the Renewables Platform (a) | (48) |
Balance as of December 31, 2018 | 19 |
Distributions to redeemable noncontrolling interest | (2) |
Net income attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest - continuing operations | 3 |
Balance as of December 31, 2019 | 20 |
Repurchase of redeemable noncontrolling interest | (20) |
Balance as of December 31, 2020 | $ | — |
(a) See Note 4, Acquisitions, Discontinued Operations and Dispositions, for further information regarding the sale of NRG Yield and its Renewables Platform

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