After reporting that the first leg of Oregon’s Electric Highway is open earlier this week, California announced the launch of its own electric vehicle charging network.
NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) has signed an agreement with the California Public Utilities Commission to build a 200 charging station network across the state. It will invest $100 million over the next four years.
The fee-based charging network will add 50 miles of range for an EV in less than 15 minutes of charging.
NRG will also wire a minimum of 10,000 individual parking spaces at homes, offices, multifamily communities, schools and hospitals.
The move brings California closer to achieving its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate and it will be built with private funds.
The agreement also provides for:
- Training and jobs for installation and maintenance of charging stations;
- Advanced charging services that increase the speed and power of DC fast charging, store electricity to minimize peak-period demand, and enable EV drivers to support electrical grid reliability through vehicle to grid technology;
Based in Princeton, NJ, NRG is mostly a fossil fuel supplier, but is becoming very active in solar, wind and EV charging station development. It’s working with AeroVironment on a charging infrastructure in Texas.
NRG is installing a solar panel and micro wind-turbine solution that will make the Philadelphia Eagles’ stadium completely energy self-sufficient, and installed a 2 MW solar system at the Washington Redskins’ stadium.
Warren Buffet’s renewable energy arm recently bought a stake in NRG’s 290 MW Agua Caliente project in Arizona. The company has put its offshore wind park on hold because of dwindling wind tax breaks.
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