South Central Regional Transit District puts electric buses into service, approves solar array contract and annual report

David Armijo, executive director of the South Central Regional Transit District, told the board on Feb. 26 that the district’s new battery-electric buses have arrived and are operating from its Summit Park facility.

“They arrived late in last year and they are now operational on our new bus facility which we took control of on the January 15,” Armijo said. He told members the facility’s charging stations were commissioned after several days of driver training and that “the first bus may pull out this morning on the yellow route out at Sunland Park to Downtown El Paso.”

The board was presented with details on vehicle and charging deployments, funding and follow-up planning. Armijo said the district presently has two electric buses in service, three more in construction and expects a larger electric fleet by spring. He said the facility’s three chargers can service two buses at a time and that the district will track charging times, electricity costs and uptime as the vehicles enter regular service.

Why it matters: the district tied the vehicle rollout to rising ridership and a broader sustainability push. Armijo said ridership has risen about 31% over the past two years and that free fares have likely contributed to the increase. He framed the electric buses and the planned solar array as steps toward a district “zero-emission” facility and lower operating costs over time.

Solar array and Venus project match: the board approved a resolution accepting $135,000 in New Mexico matching funds for the Venus facility implementation plan and separately approved a procurement to build a one-acre solar array at the district’s Summit Park site. Tim (staff) explained the $1.0 million project is funded primarily by a Federal Highway Administration grant, New Mexico matching funds and district/local contributions; the lowest responsive bid selected was from OE Solar at about $964,000. Tim said the installation timeline is roughly five months from notice to proceed and that the array is intended to offset facility electrical use and support charging of the electric buses.

Armijo said the solar array could generate enough energy to cover facility loads and charging and described it as a potential demonstration project: “If we did just did that, then the facility would become a 0 emission facility and that would be the win win,” he said.

Audit and bank collateral finding: the board also heard from auditor Yussel Herrera of Diesel Nutrient Company, who reported an unmodified (clean) audit opinion for fiscal year 2023–24 but noted one current-year finding tied to deposit collateralization. Herrera said $84,996 in district deposits exceeded FDIC insurance limits and had not been collateralized as of the fiscal‑year end; staff later requested the bank to establish collateral coverage. Board members confirmed the matter had been addressed before the meeting and approved the audit.

Other business and planning: Armijo and staff briefed the board on additional items tied to operations and growth — including plans to add weekend service on five routes, work on a district 10‑year plan and a micro‑transit pilot. He also said the district is tracking a proposed state solar funding bill (referenced during the meeting as House Bill 128, a $25 million program under consideration) and exploring partnership and grant opportunities with Doña Ana County, the cities in the district and the Business Investment Authority (BIA) to support future projects.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the audit, an annual attendance resolution, the 2024 annual board report, New Mexico matching funds for the Venus project and the OE Solar contract for the one‑acre solar array. All recorded roll-call votes on those items passed unanimously by the five voting members present.

Next steps: staff will finalize contracts and construction schedules for the solar array, continue tracking charging and electricity costs, report back on the financial and operational performance of the electric buses, and incorporate public outreach for the 10‑year plan. The board moved into a closed session at the meeting’s close to discuss limited personnel matters under the state Open Meetings Act.