NEW YORK, November 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- NRG CEO to Advocate Transition to Low Carbon-Emitting Society;Joins Former U.S. Secretary of State Albright as a Featured Speaker

At the second annual Platts Lecture, Sense and Sustainability: What Strategies Will Really Work to Create a New Energy Future? NRG Energy President and CEO David Crane is expected to call on the energy industry to smooth its transition to a low-carbon economy. The lecture will be held December 3 at Deutsche Bank headquarters in New York City in conjunction with the 10th annual Platts Global Energy Awards.

Crane is an outspoken advocate of the need for climate legislation and clean energy. His company, wholesale power generator NRG Energy, was the Platts Energy Company of the Year in 2007 and also won an Industry Leadership Award at the 9th annual Platts Global Energy Awards held in New York City last year. As a champion of environmental responsibility, NRG has been spearheading innovative research and development programs, including commercial scale demonstration of post-combustion carbon capture technology.

We're pleased that Mr. Crane, a true visionary whose leadership has inspired an entire sector of the energy industry, will also offer that sector's perspective on the global dialogue surrounding sustainable energy solutions, said Victoria Chu Pao, president of Platts.

Dr. Madeleine Albright, Principal of The Albright Group LLC, Chair and Principal of Albright Capital Management LLC and former U.S. Secretary of State, will join Crane in delivering the Platts Lecture, to be held prior to the 2008 Platts Global Energy Awards Gala that evening. Albright will examine the political environment and global issues that underpin the sustainability debate, including the three-way tension between greenhouse gas reduction, energy security and energy cost.

The Platts Lecture series aspires to raise the level of global energy industry debate, creating the definitive forum for the examination of serious long-term issues facing the world's energy businesses and policy-makers.

The Platts Global Energy Awards were established in 1999 to recognize outstanding achievement in the energy industry. The annual ceremony singles out the energy industry's top performers, recognizing corporate and individual achievement, innovation and entrepreneurship. International judges have included former OPEC energy ministers, national regulators, heads of major energy companies, leading academics and legislators.

Sponsors of the Platts Lecture include R.W. Beck, returning for a second year as the principal sponsor, and Deutsche Bank, Standard Poor's, and Oracle.

Accredited journalists are welcome to be Platts guests at the Platts Lecture, scheduled for 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on December 3 at Deutsche Bank, 60 Wall Street -- as well as at the awards ceremony in the evening -- and must register at http://platts.lecture.sgizmo.com. Non-media may register at http://www.platts.com/Events/2008/lecture/ or contact Corporate Events Occasions at +1-817-570-5877 or +1-800-851-2710 for more information.

About Platts:

Platts, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading global provider of energy and commodities information. With nearly a century of business experience, Platts serves customers across more than 150 countries. From 17 offices worldwide, Platts serves the oil, natural gas, electricity, nuclear power, coal, emissions, petrochemical, shipping and metals markets. Platts' real time news, pricing, analytical services, and conferences help markets operate with transparency and efficiency. Traders, risk managers, analysts, and industry leaders depend upon Platts to help them make better trading and investment decisions. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com. For more information on The McGraw-Hill Companies visit http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

Kathleen Tanzy, +1-212-904-2860, Kathleen_tanzy@platts.com; or Europe: Shiona Ramage, +44207-1766153; or Asia: Casey Yew, +65-653-06552