A series of webinars are scheduled to be held across New Mexico in the next several weeks to lay the groundwork for the building of a comprehensive electric vehicle charging network.
As with all states, New Mexico is in line to receive significant funding through the federal Department of Transportation during the next 5 years for the establishment of a series of stations, the majority of which will be set up on interstate highway locations.
By design, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program is serving to establish an anticipated half a million charging stations across the country by the end of the decade.
Because the program relies to a great degree on public input, states pursuing an estimated $5 billion in funds out of Washington are scheduling region-based webinars designed to explain the parameters of the program and solicit the thoughts of residents in those regions.
The first such webinar is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. on May 24 in the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s District 1, which includes the city of Deming and surrounding area.
Subsequent webinars will be held on May 26 in NMDOT District 2, which includes Roswell and the surrounding area; while District 3, centering on metro Albuquerque, will be the focus of a webinar on May 31.
Three remaining webinars will be set for early next month: NMDOT District 4, which includes the city of Las Vegas and surrounding area, on June 2; NMDOT District 5, taking in Santa Fe and surrounding area, on June 6; and, finally, NMDOT District 6, which includes the cities of Grant and Milan and surrounding area, on June 8.
The Formula Program is the centerpiece of an estimated $7.5 billion funding initiative for electric vehicle infrastructure nationally and made available through the 2021 passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
New Mexico is eligible to receive up to $38 million in funding to build its electric vehicle infrastructure network and must have a deployment plan in place in order to secure funding from Washington by no later than August 1.
By Garry Boulard
