IRVING, Texas, May 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vistra (NYSE: VST) recently published its 2022 Sustainability Report, highlighting continued efforts to play a key role in a responsible energy transition, deliver innovative solutions for its retail electricity customers, and grow an inclusive company culture that attracts top industry talent.

"Our industry witnessed an enormous amount of change in 2022, and Vistra was able to navigate the opportunities and challenges by staying true to our strategic roadmap – executing the plans and commitments that make our company a resilient enterprise," said Jim Burke, Vistra president & CEO. "By pairing a sharp focus on delivering reliable, affordable electricity to our customers with the exciting growth of our zero-carbon generation portfolio, Vistra is uniquely positioned to play a key role the energy transition and expansion. The accomplishments in our annual sustainability report underscore a commitment to our employees, the communities we serve, and minimizing the impact of our operations on the environment."

Select 2022 highlights include:

Environmental Stewardship

• Achieved 75% of our 2030 target of reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 60% (compared to a 2010 baseline year); expect to achieve 80% of 2030 target by year-end 2023
• Continued focus on water conservation and recycling at Vistra power plants, achieving target to consume less than 2% of the water withdrawn for plant operations
• 2022 Texan by Nature 20 designation: for the third year in a row, Vistra was recognized for its demonstrative commitment to conservation and sustainability by the conservation non-profit Texan by Nature

Strategy & Innovation

• Advanced the transformation of our zero-carbon generation portfolio by bringing online more than 400 megawatts of solar and energy storage in Texas and the announced expansion of the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility
• Continued decarbonization strategy with the retirement of three coal plants – two in Illinois and one in Ohio – totaling 2,887 MW; with these closures, Vistra has de-commissioned more than 15,000 MW of coal and gas plants since 2010
• Introduced TXU Energy Free EV Miles, an innovative, market-first plan that allows customers to charge their electric vehicles for free

DEI & Human Capital Management

• Launched an online Learning Management System with courses on diversity, leadership development, and more, available to all employees
• Continued to develop inclusive leaders and strengthen their professional skills through company's formal mentoring program, which is open to all employees, and through external diversity training for managers to vice presidents
• Maintained 13 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and held strategy sessions for officers and executive sponsors to increase ERG impact across the business
• Centralized internship program within DEI to ensure a diverse pool of interns, from large and small colleges, first-generation and female-focused programs, and diverse degree programs

Safety and Health

• Operated for a third year in a row without any serious injuries to Vistra employees or site contractors
• Completed nearly 46,000 safety training courses and 52,000 proactive safety engagements across the fleet
• Increased the number of power plants to 14 that have earned the Voluntary Protection Program Star designation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for superior demonstration of effective safety and health management systems and for maintaining injury and illness rates below the national averages for our industry

Supporting Our Communities and Customers

• Provided $5.6 million in bill-payment assistance to Vistra retail customers through our Energy Aid program
• Invested in the communities where we live and work with $2.3 million in donations to non-profit organizations supporting critical needs, programs that grow state and local economies, and programs and scholarships that build skills in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)
• Donated $2 million in Vistra's third year of a five-year, $10 million commitment to support organizations focused on advancing economic and educational opportunities in minority and underserved communities
• Raised $1.8 million through our United Way and Energy Aid giving campaign, through employee donations and a corporate match

Responsible Business Practices

• Hired a dedicated team member focused on supplier sustainability engagement; increased the number of suppliers reporting their ESG performance from 67 to 109, representing 48% of Vistra's spend
• Named as a Forefront 50 Top Corporation by the National Minority Development Council for working to create greater economic access and equity
• Ranked #1 for shareholders and governance in the utilities industry by JUST Capital and its media partner CNBC for a commitment to serving workers, customers, communities, the environment, and shareholders
• Received a perfect score on Disability:IN's Disability Equality Index and recognized as one of the Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion
• Advanced partnership with Department of Defense Skillbridge to provide internships to servicemen and women preparing to retire from military service and enter the workforce

Vistra's 2022 sustainability report adheres to the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) frameworks. The report also includes Vistra's voluntary annual report of its employee political action committee contributions, corporate contributions, and dues to trade organizations, which are in the appendix. For additional information about Vistra's 2022 ESG performance and to download a copy of the report, please visit vistracorp.com/sustainability. 

About Vistra
Vistra (NYSE: VST) is a leading Fortune 500 integrated retail electricity and power generation company based in Irving, Texas, providing essential resources for customers, commerce, and communities. Vistra combines an innovative, customer-centric approach to retail with safe, reliable, diverse, and efficient power generation. The company brings its products and services to market in 20 states and the District of Columbia, including six of the seven competitive wholesale markets in the U.S. Serving approximately 4 million residential, commercial, and industrial retail customers with electricity and natural gas, Vistra is one of the largest competitive electricity providers in the country and offers over 50 renewable energy plans. The company is also the largest competitive power generator in the U.S. with a capacity of approximately 37,000 megawatts powered by a diverse portfolio, including natural gas, nuclear, solar, and battery energy storage facilities. In addition, Vistra is a large purchaser of wind power. The company owns and operates the 400-MW/1,600-MWh battery energy storage system in Moss Landing, California, the largest of its kind in the world. Vistra is guided by four core principles: we do business the right way, we work as a team, we compete to win, and we care about our stakeholders, including our customers, our communities where we work and live, our employees, and our investors. Learn more about our environmental, social, and governance efforts and read the company's sustainability report at https://www.vistracorp.com/sustainability/.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The information presented herein includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the industry and markets in which Vistra Corp. ("Vistra") operates and beliefs of and assumptions made by Vistra's management, involve risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict and are not guarantees of future performance, that could significantly affect the financial results of Vistra. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that are presented herein, or in response to questions or otherwise, that address activities, events or developments that may occur in the future, including such matters as activities related to our financial or operational projections, financial condition and cash flows, projected synergy, value lever and net debt targets, capital allocation, capital expenditures, liquidity, projected Adjusted EBITDA to free cash flow conversion rate, dividend policy, business strategy, competitive strengths, goals, future acquisitions or dispositions, development or operation of power generation assets, market and industry developments and the growth of our businesses and operations (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases, or the negative variations of those words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature, including, but not limited to: "intends," "plans," "will likely," "unlikely," "believe," "confident", "expect," "seek," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "will," "shall," "should," "could," "may," "might," "predict," "project," "forecast," "target," "potential," "goal," "objective," "guidance" and "outlook"), are forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Although Vistra believes that in making any such forward-looking statement, Vistra's expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, any such forward-looking statement involves uncertainties and risks that could cause results to differ materially from those projected in or implied by any such forward-looking statement, including, but not limited to: (i) adverse changes in general economic or market conditions (including changes in interest rates) or changes in political conditions or federal or state laws and regulations; (ii) the ability of Vistra to execute upon its contemplated strategic, capital allocation, performance, and cost-saving initiatives, including the acquisition of Energy Harbor, and to successfully integrate acquired businesses; (iii) actions by credit ratings agencies; (iv) the severity, magnitude and duration of extreme weather events, contingencies and uncertainties relating thereto, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, and the resulting effects on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows; and (v) those additional risks and factors discussed in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Vistra from time to time, including the uncertainties and risks discussed in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Statements" in Vistra's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and any subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only at the date on which it is made, and except as may be required by law, Vistra will not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all of them; nor can Vistra assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.