It’s no secret that the rise of distributed generation is fundamentally altering the traditional centralized power generation, transmission and delivery system, but utilities are dealing with these changes in different ways and NRG appears to be embracing new models instead of fighting to preserve the status quo. In this letter originally printed on the company’s website, CEO David Crane argues there is no Amazon, Google, Facebook or Apple in the US energy industry and discusses how NRG is seeking to fill the gaps in today’s energy consumer experience. [Greentech Media]

In a widely expected move, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah appointed his half-brother Moqren bin Abdul Aziz as next heir to the throne. Current Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz is 77 years old and physically unwell, with some suggesting he might decline the leadership role for health reasons. [SBS]

Natural gas withdrawal season is finally coming to a close with inventories depleted to the lowest levels since 2003. “Working gas in storage was 896 Bcf as of Friday, March 21, 2014, according to EIA estimates. This represents a net decline of 57 Bcf from the previous week. Stocks were 899 Bcf less than last year at this time and 926 Bcf below the 5-year average of 1,822 Bcf.” [EIA]