Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and NRG Energy, Inc. announced a new global alliance to expand the use of renewable energy systems at Starwood properties. The alliance will begin with three properties, including the installation of a 1.3 megawatt (MW) solar array at the Westin St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands where NRG will build, own and operate the project. This array will provide clean, efficient power to the resort helping to reduce local air emissions and the impact of shipping on the fragile Caribbean ecosystem by directly reducing demand for diesel fuel imports. NRG will own the solar arrays while Starwood will be the enabling partner through a multi-year agreement to purchase electricity from the solar arrays installed at several locations. Not only will Starwood reduce its electricity costs, it also will lock in predictable energy costs at an affordable level for years to come and reduce the company's carbon footprint and local air emissions. The customized solar solutions designed by NRG in consultation with Starwood will seamlessly integrate with the aesthetic of each location while enhancing the guest experience.

One of power plants affecting New Jersey's air quality will shut down six months earlier than originally scheduled. In a consent decree signed with New Jersey and Connecticut, NRG Energy agreed to cease operation of two coal-fired generating units at its Portland plant in Mt. Bethel, Pa. in June 2014. The agreement, which is subject to review and approval by federal authorities and the U.S. District court in eastern Pennsylvania, ends a lawsuit brought by New Jersey and Connecticut, which alleged that the plant failed to comply with federal Clean Air standards.

NRG Energy, Inc. announced that it has agreed with the States of New Jersey and Connecticut to settle a lawsuit concerning the operation of two coal-fueled electric generating units at the company's Portland Generating Station in Mt. Bethel, Pennsylvania. The settlement, via a federal Consent Decree, allows the parties to avoid further litigation of a lawsuit that began in 2007. The agreement ends a lawsuit brought by the States of New Jersey and Connecticut for alleged noncompliance with the federal Clean Air Act at the Portland plant based on work done many years before NRG acquired the facility. NRG said it operates the Portland plant in full compliance with permits issued by Pennsylvania and denies there have been any violations of the Clean Air Act. However, the company agreed with New Jersey and Connecticut that settlement of this action is in the public interest and the most efficient means of resolving the dispute. To meet the requirements of the settlement, NRG will stop using coal as fuel in two units at its Portland facility by June 1, 2014 after receiving the appropriate regulatory approvals. The units were previously scheduled to be deactivated on January 6, 2015. NRG has also agreed to invest $1 million to benefit the environment in New Jersey and Connecticut. The Consent Decree will be provided to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for review and comment for a period of 45 days and then must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.