County, state, and local representatives gathered at the Doña Ana County Government Center in Las Cruces to celebrate the installation of EV charging stations in Las Cruces, Hatch, and Anthony.
In collaboration with El Paso Electric and the New Mexico Department of Transportation, the infrastructure upgrades are more economically beneficial than ever thanks to federal initiatives like the bipartisan infrastructure law, according to Assistant County Manager Jonathan Macias.
“When we look at those operational costs of gas to electricity, then we have about a 1 to 4 ratio. And it just means that it behooves us to at least look at our models and see where we can save that money,” he said. “Now is a good time to be striking while we can get those [federal] subsidies, because if we don’t, then other communities will take advantage of them. So we might as well try to get our fair share for our community as well.”
Macias said that county leadership’s been advocating for expansion of the area’s renewable energy footprint, and while the new EV chargers are a piece of that, he said that gas powered vehicles aren’t going anywhere.
“There will always be a place for [the internal combustion engine], especially in our own fleet, where we need heavy duty vehicles, and the technology is just not there yet for full electrification. What it does mean is more option and choice and quite frankly, a lower operational cost that we hope to pass back on in the form of reduced operation costs that we’ll reprogram in our funding here at the county.”
The charging stations are being energized by El Paso Electric, and Angie Rodriguez, supervisor of transportation electrification at El Paso Electric, said the utility company will continue efforts to decarbonize their grid.
“We got out of coal generation many, many years ago and we’re now focusing on development of more renewable resources. So when you charge an EV connected to our grid, you’re going to be charging it with a little bit lower carbon resources,” Rodriguez said.
But as EV adoption becomes more commonplace, so does the need for a workforce that can implement the technology. NMSU’s Dr. Olga Lavrova researches integration of renewables and new technology into the electric grid, and said she’s confident in the state’s ability to integrate the new infrastructure.
“As a technical person and as a researcher who has gone through all the design procedures, I feel that there are no technical barriers that we cannot overcome. Personally, as a scientist, I feel like the biggest barrier right now is for us to change the mentality and not to be afraid of changing to the electric vehicle,” she said. “I feel like the biggest challenger right now is just our social perception.”
New Mexico’s adoption of EVs is indeed on the rise. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel’s Data Center, the state saw an increase of 2,900 electric vehicles between 2021 and 2022. Dr. Lavrova said that the university is preparing students for an industry that she said could eventually be as big as the oil and gas industry.
“There are so many jobs that come along with electric vehicles. From highly skilled electrical engineering, all the way to regular jobs that are similar to what people are already doing. So, EV station technician, EV troubleshooting, EV servicing. So, it’s replacing one type of vehicle with another, but the jobs are still staying the same. If not, there’s [more] jobs now because of the electric vehicle charging stations.”
As Doña Ana County continues to build EV infrastructure, local stakeholders are optimistic that these investments will not only drive economic growth, but also pave the way for a more sustainable future in New Mexico.
