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Los Alamos presents draft fleet-conversion and countywide EV charging plan; public meeting set
Summary
County staff and consultants presented a draft plan to electrify the county fleet and expand public EV charging, outlining two scenarios, estimated costs and emissions reductions, and recommended county and private charging locations; a community input meeting is scheduled for the following day.
County staff on Dec. 2 presented a draft fleet conversion plan and a separate community-wide electric-vehicle (EV) charging plan intended to cut greenhouse-gas emissions from county operations and expand charging access for residents.
The presentation, led by Miss Gurule and technical lead Annalie Castillo, described two procurement strategies: the current EV policy (roughly two EVs procured annually) and a more aggressive “cap” approach aligned with the county’s Climate Action Plan. The cap policy would aim to convert about 86% of the fleet by 2050; presenters said that meeting that target requires more rapid vehicle procurement and infrastructure investment than the county’s current practice.
Consultants said the county fleet totals about 229 vehicles and identified roughly 33 specialized vehicles—such as firefighting pump units and heavy-duty apparatus—as exemptions in the near term because no equivalent EVs meet operational needs. Financial modeling using a total-cost-of-ownership approach found the cap policy could be roughly 25% more expensive than the less-ambitious EV policy between 2026 and 2050, with fleet acquisition the largest driver of the gap. Presenters recommended seeking federal and state grants, exploring aggregated procurement and utility mitigation programs, and assigning staff to pursue funding.
The consultants projected notable emissions benefits: during the transition they estimated eliminating about 12,000 metric tons of CO2—equivalent, they said, to roughly 1.4 million gallons of gasoline or about 1,600 homes’ annual electricity use—assuming future grid improvements and a 50% solar contribution after 2027.
On the community-charging side, consultants reviewed four site scenarios—home charging, county-owned public charging, incentivized private/shared Level 2 charging, and DC fast charging. They showed mapped candidate locations and said county-owned chargers, partner sites (for example, schools and hotels), and fast chargers at Smith’s Marketplace and the Justice Center are among sites recommended for further public review. The presentation team emphasized accessibility and ADA compliance, coordination with the utility, and streamlining permitting.
Councilors pressed staff on equity metrics for renters and multifamily residents, operational reliability for public-safety and transit fleets, and the sources of funding to close the cost gap. Presenters said the study incorporated equity indices and feeder-level power modeling, and that coordinated planning with the utility (and a Burns & McDonnell feeder study) will inform phasing to minimize grid bottlenecks.
A public meeting to collect community feedback on the proposed charging locations was scheduled for the next day. Staff said all recommendations and public input would be integrated into the final documents before returning to council for further action.
