County sustainability staff on July 8 provided a quarterly briefing on multiple sustainability initiatives including Climate Action Plan implementation, an EV fleet conversion and community charging study, an RFP for climate marketing and engagement, residential energy audit procurement planning, and a working group examining single‑use plastic bag policy options.

The presenter summarized FY2025 budget options the council approved to advance climate action and said the county has hired a senior project manager, Miguel Jimenez, to lead implementation work. Staff said an RFP for climate marketing and engagement received 11 proposals and an evaluation committee planned to select a vendor in the coming weeks.

On building energy audits, staff said they considered using trained interns but determined liability and environmental‑hazard exposure (for example, asbestos or carbon monoxide) made hiring certified contractors preferable. Staff reported fewer than 10 certified energy auditors exist in the state, and the county will solicit professional audit services via a request for proposals.

The fleet conversion plan and community EV charging plan kicked off in March; staff described public visioning, one‑on‑one meetings with county departments and Los Alamos Public Schools, a fleet and facilities assessment by Stantec, and coordination with Burns & McDonnell on an electrification study. A community survey was open through July 31 and had received more than 350 responses as of five weeks before the meeting. Staff said site visits to county facilities were scheduled to assess existing power loads and capacity and that a draft plan would be returned to council in October.

Staff announced they had been told unofficially by NMDOT that the county was awarded a grant for two DC fast chargers at the public library and that those chargers would have a minimum output of 150 kW per port. Staff cautioned that equipment and construction costs for DC fast chargers are substantially higher than Level 2 equipment, citing equipment estimates of roughly $450,000 and overall construction and electrical estimates that could reach $1,000,000 for those sites.

The Environmental Sustainability Board formed a working group to research single‑use plastic bags, tasking members Shannon Blair, Rebecca Paley Williams and Herman Gepbert Kleinrath with outreach and comparative ordinance review. Staff said the working group had met with officials in Santa Fe and Las Cruces to learn lessons and would bring a recommendation to the ESB in July for potential forwarding to council.

In question time, a councilor asked about DOE involvement; staff said Department of Energy partners have shifted outreach to emphasize cost‑savings and efficiency, and that DOE is not installing new EVs locally at this time though the lab operates dozens of chargers on its property.

No council action was requested or taken during the briefing.