More electric-car plug-ins

In an effort to expand the availability of electric vehicles, the California Public Utilities Commission reached a settlement agreement with NRG Energy, Inc. to install a statewide charging infrastructure.

The settlement—based on NRG’s alleged market manipulation and overcharging more than a decade ago—fines the energy provider $20 million and requires it to spend $100 million more to install 200 fast-charging stations and 10,000 plug-in units, according to GreentechMedia.com. Of the 200 fast-charging “Freedom Stations,” 110 will be installed in the Los Angeles Basin, 55 in the Bay Area, 15 in the San Joaquin Valley and 20 in San Diego County, with 20 percent of the stations located in low-income areas.

The plug-in units will be installed in multi-family housing complexes, workplaces and public-interest sites. Additionally, $4 million of the settlement will go to car-sharing programs in underserved areas to provide an alternative to public transit.