NRG Energy opened its first power plant in over a decade late last month, partly funded by the state’s energy fund.
The power plant, located off the Sam Houston Highway in Willowbrook, is a peaker plant — a power plant that operates one to two hours each day, acting as a shock absorber to the power grid — said Matt Pistner, the president of NRG Wholesale. As energy demand in Texas continues to surge, largely driven by new AI data centers, developers have looked toward Houston, the energy capital of the world, as a location for new sites.
The TH Wharton generating station is one of three NRG power plants funded by the Texas Energy Fund, a state initiative established in 2023 that is managed by the Texas Public Utility Commission. Two others are expected online by 2028, both also in the Houston area…