Memorial City Leads the Charge with Electric Vehicle Initiative

HOUSTON - March 06, 2012— Memorial City is debuting the newest eVgosm (ee-vee-go) Freedom StationSM to provide range confidence to electric vehicle (EV) drivers along the Interstate 10 corridor who can now recharge while visiting Memorial City Mall. The charging station, located on the West side of the mall, with access from Gessner, will be available 24/7 starting on March 7th and will provide a 480 volt DC fast charger that can add 50 miles of range in as little as 15 minutes and a 240 volt Level 2 charger that can add up to 12-25 miles of range in an hour.

eVgo and Memorial City, which is owned and operated by MetroNational, have also inauguratedHouston’s first Ready for EV (REV) electric vehicle charging station in the parking garage shared by the Cobalt Center and The Fountains at Memorial City, the development’s luxury, residential mid-rise. The 240 volt eVgo REV station can currently support two vehicles at once, with infrastructure in place to support more stations throughout Memorial City as EV adoption grows.

“We’re pleased to join with eVgo in pioneering this offering for those that live, work and shop at Memorial City,” said Wayne Hays, President/CEO of Metro National. “This is another great example of our continuing efforts to establish environmentally-friendly programs throughout our 250-acre master planned development.”

MetroNational’s commitment to a healthier environment is reflected in the Memorial City properties and processes. The two newest buildings in Memorial City, the Nexen Tower and the Cobalt Center, are LEED Certified and LEED Silver Certified, respectively. All buildings employ an automated energy management system that optimizes start time of AC or heating, each day, based on past trends. All buildings also use lighting controls with motion sensors and sweep timers, as well as irrigation management systems that factor in weather conditions and date of last rain to avoid unnecessary watering. The development is also soon to unveil its new car-sharing program, Memorial City Spin, which will make available a fleet of hybrid/fuel-efficient and electric vehicles to any area residents or workers that wish to participate.

Through the Memorial City stations, and the entire eVgo network of sites across Houston, EV drivers in Memorial City have access to highly convenient and affordable “home, work and away” charging plans with unlimited miles and a flat monthly fee.

“This Freedom Station and the first REV charging station in Memorial City area important milestones in making electric vehicles even more convenient for the citizens of Houston,” said Arun Banskota, President of NRG’s eVgo network. “We value this partnership white Memorial City, which is a leader in environmentally-friendly development, in establishing an electric vehicle ecosystem in the community.”

The Memorial City Mall Freedom Station – also to be the first in any mixed-use, master-planned development – will allow EV drivers to charge their vehicles while taking advantage of the upscale shopping, dining or entertainment offerings in the vicinity. The REV program enables employers, property owners and managers to quickly and economically deliver dedicated charging options to individual EV drivers.

In addition to the Memorial City Mall Freedom Station, eVgo Freedom Station sites are located throughout Houston as part of the nation’s first privately funded, comprehensive EV charging network. The move by Memorial City continues a trend that is welcomed by the City of Houston, as it seeks to reduce in-city tailpipe emissions and help Houstonians feel more confident about charging their cars anywhere.

“Kudos to Memorial City and eVgo for joining together to bring a public charging station that will allow access to a large audience of current and prospective EV adopters,” said Laura Spanjian, Sustainability Director for the City of Houston. “This Freedom Station, given its geographic location and high-visibility, marks an important milestone in the new transportation paradigm for Houston, creating a more livable city with a wider variety of options for our citizens.”

EVs charged from the Texas grid, using electricity generated by Texas’ current portfolio of nuclear, wind, coal and gas-fired generation, produce substantially less environmental impact than conventional gasoline-powered vehicles. EVs also reduce the cost and increase the convenience of vehicle ownership. EV drivers, with a convenient fueling station in their garage, head out each morning for their day with a full tank of energy. No tune ups. No oil changes. With significantly fewer moving parts, EVs require less traditional maintenance than gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles, saving consumers both time and money.

About eVgo and NRG

eVgo is the nation’s first privately funded, comprehensive electric vehicle ecosystem. The eVgo network gives EV owners new freedom and range confidence via home charging and fast-charging stations conveniently located at major retailers, employers and along highways across eVgo cities. eVgo allows EV owners to avoid paying large up-front costs for a home charger and provides unlimited use remote charging-all for one low monthly fee. To find out more, or to join the eVgo network, visit https://www.evgonetwork.com/. eVgo is a subsidiary of NRG Energy, a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 Index company that owns and operates one of the country’s largest and most diverse power generation portfolios. Headquartered in Princeton, NJ, the Company’s power plants provide more than 25,000 megawatts of generation capacity-enough to supply nearly 20 million homes. NRG’s retail businesses, Reliant and Green Mountain Energy Company, combined serve nearly 1.9 million residential, business, commercial and industrial customers. With investments in solar, wind and nuclear power, as well as electric vehicle infrastructure, NRG is working to help America transition to a clean energy economy. More information is available at http://www.nrgenergy.com/.

About Memorial City

Memorial City is a mixed-use, master planned development located in West Houston, along the expansive Interstate 10 corridor, east of Beltway 8. The 250 acre city-within-a-city, which is owned and managed by MetroNational, consists of approximately 4.2 million square feet of Class A office space and 2.2 million square feet of retail and entertainment space. One of the feature attractions of Memorial City is the Memorial City Mall, which offers shoppers more than 1.7 million square feet of retail and restaurant space comprising a comprehensive upscale shopping, dining and entertainment environment. A network of skybridges connects Memorial City Mall to the Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center, The Westin Houston, Memorial City, The Fountains at Memorial City residential mid-rise, Cobalt Center and the new Nexen Tower. For more: http://www.memorialcitymall.com/ or http://www.metronational.com/.

Media Contacts:

NRG:

David Knox

713.537.2130

Memorial City:

Jay Hickman

713.523.7900