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County accepts $120,000 energy efficiency grant to fund staff position, advance EV charging and solar projects
Summary
Pueblo County accepted a Colorado Energy Office award under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program to fund a full‑time energy management position for 18 months (no county match). The county said it will install six Level 2 EV chargers at the courthouse and study usage before proposing fees.
The Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 23 accepted a small‑dollar Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant from the Colorado Energy Office to fund a full‑time energy management position for 18 months, with no county match. Jared Mira, energy coordinator for Pueblo County Public Works, said the award provides $7,337 per month for a total of $120,000.
Mira said the funds will help the county implement previously awarded grants for electric vehicle charging stations and renewable energy projects such as solar. Mira told the board the county plans to install six Level 2 chargers at the courthouse and gather several months of usage data before proposing a fee structure: “Once that's fully operational, we intend to collect some data for several months to get patterns of usage and utilization. And through that, we'll be able to present some sort of study to develop a fee structure.”
A commissioner asked whether the position is grant‑funded only and whether there is any expectation the county would absorb the position after the grant expires; Mira said the position posting will make clear it is grant‑funded and that sustaining the position beyond the grant term would be a county decision. He also said the county will proactively pursue energy‑savings measures that could free funds to sustain the role, but there is no requirement that the funder be absorbed by the county.
Commissioners discussed concerns about public subsidy for EV charging, with one commissioner saying it is unfair for general taxpayers to subsidize others’ vehicle charging; Mira confirmed usage and fee design will be studied. The board voted to approve acceptance of the grant (item 3 f) and the motion carried.
