SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Four federal agencies have settled a lawsuit with the Center for Biological Diversity and Bluewater Network, and have agreed to buy thousands of vehicles that run on natural gas, electricity, ethanol, propane, and other alternative fuels, according to the Associated Press. The Commerce, Labor, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs departments admitted to violating the federal Energy Policy Act, which requires that 75 percent of the new cars and light trucks bought by federal agencies run on non-petroleum-based alternative fuels. Under the settlement, the agencies will increase alternative-fuel vehicle purchases over the next three years to an estimated additional 5,000 alternative-fuel vehicles. The environmental groups still await the federal court’s decision on another part of the lawsuit demanding the Energy Department to require large private fleets to buy alternative-fuel vehicles.