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New Mexico seeks to buy more electric vehicles

SANTA FE – New Mexico General Services Secretary Ken Ortiz said Tuesday his department is seeking $1 million to buy more electric vehicles for its Motor Pool, which provides transportation to state agencies.

Ortiz made the request in presenting GSD’s budget request for fiscal year 2022 to the Legislative Finance Committee.

“Climate change is here, and the transportation sector is the No. 2 producer of greenhouse gas emissions in New Mexico,” the secretary said. “State government needs to lead by example in reducing those emissions, and adding more electric vehicles to the Motor Pool will do just that."

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has made building a clean energy future for New Mexico and fighting the causes of climate change a priority of her administration.

GSD this year added its first all-electric vehicles to the Motor Pool. The requested $1 million appropriation announced Tuesday would fund the purchase of about 28 additional electric vehicles.

GSD is nearing completion of 30 charging stations on state campuses in Santa Fe to serve government and privately owned electric vehicles.

Ortiz also announced the department has made substantial progress on its State Buildings Green Energy Project, a $32 million energy-efficiency and solar power initiative for 30 government buildings in Santa Fe.

Solar power has been installed on 16 buildings, and construction will soon begin on three large solar carports, Ortiz said.

Once completed in November 2021, the State Buildings Green Energy Project will save taxpayers at least $1.1 million a year in electric utility costs. The project also will reduce state government's annual carbon footprint by the equivalent of removing 1,200 gas-powered passenger cars from the roads.