County-funded study will map fleet electrification and community EV charging; public workshop set for May 12

Los Alamos County staff presented a Stantec-led fleet conversion study and a community-wide EV charging plan on April 17, saying the work will assess opportunities to electrify the county fleet and expand charging access across the county.

The study was included as a budget option and funded by county council in the FY25 budget. Angelica (county staff) told the Environmental Sustainability Board that Stantec will inventory vehicle types and use, visit county sites, review vehicle replacement policies, and evaluate whether electric equivalents meet operational needs for specialized units such as wildland apparatus and off-road police vehicles.

Stantec will develop a base case and a zero-emission case to project greenhouse gas reductions and perform a financial analysis of infrastructure costs and funding options. The technical siting analysis will evaluate demand (land use and travel patterns), suitability (utility and transportation infrastructure and sensitive land uses), and equity (inclusion of disadvantaged and underserved communities). Angelica said the planning will be coordinated with state and local policies including the county Climate Action Plan and the New Mexico Clean Car Rule, which she said goes into effect in 2026.

County staff said they will produce adoption scenarios in five-year increments, create a heat map for potential charger locations and engage county departments, stakeholders, and the public. Stantec and county staff have already begun meetings with critical departments, including the Department of Public Utilities, police and fire, to understand vehicle constraints and facility needs.

Angelica asked board members to save May 12 for a public visioning meeting that she said would begin at 3:30 p.m. and run into the evening; the meeting will include two short presentations and break-out stations to gather community input.

In a later staff report, Angelica said County Council had approved a charge-point amendment to purchase six Level 2 EV chargers to place in front of the municipal building. She said the chargers will include ADA accessibility features, bollards and emergency shutoffs, that the project should be advertised for bid by the end of the month, and that construction could begin this summer.

Board members asked about funding and partnerships. Angelica said available federal and state grants could be affected by federal policy changes but that the study will also evaluate alternative funding models used by other municipalities such as infrastructure service models in which a private firm installs and maintains chargers for a subscription fee. Members suggested outreach to private developers and ensuring county departments (planning and zoning and others) are aware of the plan so private projects can coordinate with county infrastructure.

Ko Kyung asked whether school buses are included; Angelica replied that school buses are not part of the county fleet but staff are coordinating with Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) to plan electrical infrastructure as the district converts buses.

The board did not take any formal vote on the study during the meeting; staff said they will return with draft materials for board review and will present the final plan to county council at the conclusion of the study.