SCRTD details Sunland Park solar microgrid, EV fleet expansion and new facilities
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Summary
The South Central Regional Transit District outlined progress on a Sunland Park solar microgrid and other facility upgrades, saying the project should power the agency’s growing electric fleet and reduce operating costs; staff also discussed a proposed Venus facility and ongoing grant pipeline.
The South Central Regional Transit District on Jan. 28 told its board that a Sunland Park microgrid and solar array is under construction and expected to power the agency’s electric vehicles and facilities, though the start date slipped from January into February.
Executive Director David Armijo said the microgrid has a roughly 120‑day build schedule and ‘‘we still hope to complete it in April, but I think we're gonna see that schedule stretch out a little bit’’ and that the system should help ‘‘operate all of our electric vehicles’’ and provide power for maintenance and administrative buildings. Armijo added the system may produce a small excess to the grid, but noted the utility ‘‘don't wanna give us any money for that.’’
Armijo described several facility projects: modernization at the Anthony operations site (asphalted aprons, garage repairs, HVAC work and a forthcoming electronic gate), ongoing grounds clearing and a proposed Venus facility the agency is appraising and negotiating to buy. He said Venus would be larger than the Anthony site and intended mainly to store vehicles and host charging infrastructure, but cautioned construction and operational timelines remain long — he estimated 18 months to a construction contract and several years to an operational facility.
On the fleet, Armijo said the district has grown from two or three electrified vehicles to more than five, with three additional vehicles expected in spring; staff described plans to add another charging station at the Sunland Park site and integrate Level 2 chargers being installed by Doña Ana County at a county lot nearby. Armijo highlighted ridership and grant activity: ‘‘we did add 23% ridership growth last year’’ and the agency has roughly $9–10 million in grants in the pipeline, some of which will be capital and will carry into future years.
The board and staff discussed potential local partnerships to obtain favorable pricing for vehicles produced near the region. Armijo said he had opened conversations with a bus manufacturer planning a local presence and offered to temporarily house demonstration vehicles at the agency.
Next steps: staff will continue NEPA modifications and appraisal work on the proposed Venus property, pursue grant approvals through New Mexico DOT and the Federal Transit Administration, and return with schedule updates as work advances.
