Cities throughout New Mexico were awarded funds to expand the state’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure network. Among them were Las Cruces and Deming.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law awarded the New Mexico Department of Transportation $38.3 million through its National Electric Field Infrastructure program. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a collaboration between National Departments of Energy and Transportation and is the largest long-term investment in U.S. infrastructure and economy in U.S. history. It will provide $550 billion over fiscal years 2022 through 2026 in new federal investment in infrastructure, including in roads, bridges, and mass transit, water infrastructure, resilience and broadband.
These funds are to be used on primary interstates and alternative fuel corridors. New Mexico’s AFCs include I-25, I-40, and I-10 as well as five U.S. highways: U.S. 60, U.S. 70, U.S. 160, U.S. 285, and U.S. 380 totaling almost 2,200 center lane miles.
NMDOT Executive Project Director Jerry Valdez stated in an email that the priority here is to appropriate spacing from existing and potential site locations. He said these locations will help fill the considerable gaps in the existing charging network.