Video: NRG CEO David Crane on Electric Vehicles and Parking

“I am very pleased that NRG employees have been among the first to embrace plug-in vehicles—even if it means I don’t have a guaranteed parking spot at work.”

Eric Wesoff May 16, 2012

Eric Wesoff

Editor-at-Large
Greentech Media

Eric Wesoff is Editor-at-Large at Greentech Media. Prior to joining GTM, Eric Wesoff founded Sage Marketing Partners in 2000 to provide sales and marketing-consulting services to venture-capital firms and their portfolio companies in the alternative energy and telecommunications sectors. Mr. Wesoff has become a well-known, respected authority and speaker in these fields.

His expertise covers solar power, fuel cells, biofuels and advanced batteries. His strengths are in market research and analysis, business development and due diligence for investors. He frequently consults for energy startups and Silicon Valley's premier venture capitalists.

Last year NRG installed three eVgo charging stations at its headquarters parking lot in Princeton, New Jersey. And as per the accompanying video -- David Crane the CEO of NRG, "dreams of a country with 50 million to 100 million electric cars on the road."

If he also wishes for more charging stations in California, his firm -- NRG is providing $100 million in EV infrastructure for the state as part of a settlement. As we've reported:

The $100 million that NRG Energy is obligated by a legal settlement to invest in battery electric vehicle (BEV) charging infrastructure in California will result in:

   • A $50.5 million investment in 200 eVgo Freedom Station sites installed at carefully chosen commercial and retail locations, each with a level-three DC fast charger as well as a level-two medium-speed charger;
   • A $40 million investment in 10,000 make-ready electrical installations, upgraded to 30 amp-capable and prepared for either a level-one or level-two charger installation to be completed within 24 hours to 48 hours
   • A $9 million investment in advanced BEV charging technology and BEV car sharing programs.

Plug In America, a key electric vehicle advocacy group, described the infrastructure build out as an 'electric expressway' for the state.

According to NRG Energy, these investments resolve “all outstanding claims and disputes” pertaining to litigation between Dynegy, bought by NRG Energy in 2006, and the state, represented by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), over unsatisfactorily fulfilled electricity contracts during the 2000-01 energy crisis.