UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): March 20, 2006

 

RELIANT ENERGY, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (713) 497-3000

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

o    Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o    Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

In this Current Report on Form 8-K (Form 8-K) and in the exhibits included as part of this report, “Reliant Energy” refers to Reliant Energy, Inc., and “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Reliant Energy and its subsidiaries.

 

Item 7.01.  Regulation FD Disclosure

 

On March 20, 2006, we issued a press release updating our 2006 wholesale energy segment outlook and posted a related presentation on our corporate website.  The press release and presentation are furnished herewith as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(c)           We furnish the following exhibits:

 

99.1         Press release dated March 20, 2006

 

99.2         Presentation dated March 20, 2006

 

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

 

This Form 8-K and Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2 hereto contain “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements are statements that contain projections, estimates or assumptions about our revenues, income and other financial items, our plans for the future, future economic performance, transactions and dispositions and financings related thereto. Forward-looking statements relate to future events and anticipated revenues, earnings, business strategies, competitive position or other aspects of our operations or operating results. In many cases you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “should,” “will,” “expect,” “objective,” “projection,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “effort,” “target” and other similar words. However, the absence of these words does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking.

 

We have based our forward-looking statements on management’s beliefs and assumptions based on information available to management at the time the statements are made. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements as a result of many factors or events, including legislative and regulatory developments, the outcome of pending lawsuits, governmental proceedings and investigations, the effects of competition, financial market conditions, access to capital, the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices and interest rates, weather conditions, changes in our business plan and other factors we discuss in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the following:

 

•                                          Fluctuations in commodity prices, including any future increases in natural gas prices;

 

•                                          The impact of competition;

 

•                                          “Market usage adjustments” resulting from revisions to prior period estimates related to customer usage in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region and the PJM (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland) Market and supply costs;

 

•                                          Weather conditions;

 

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•                                          Changes in wholesale market conditions;

 

•                                          Impact of price-to-beat tariff filings and regulatory developments;

 

•                                          Plant availability, including limitations on plant capacity, which could restrict our ability to capitalize on increased demand for electricity; and

 

•                                          Changes in operating and maintenance expenses.

 

For additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties, see our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussions under “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation” in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005.

 

Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

The information in this Form 8-K and Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2 hereto is being furnished, not filed. Accordingly, the information will not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement filed by Reliant Energy under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, unless specifically identified as being incorporated by reference therein.

 

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SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

	RELIANT ENERGY, INC.
	(Registrant)
Date: March 20, 2006	By:	/s/ Thomas C. Livengood
		Thomas C. Livengood
		Senior Vice President and Controller

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Number		Exhibit Description
99.1		Press release dated March 20, 2006
99.2		Presentation dated March 20, 2006