El Paso unveils plan: Where the 74 new charging stations will be

El Paso is taking a step toward sustainability thanks to a $15 million grant to design and install more than 74 new electric vehicle charging stations across the city.

El Paso is one of only 15 cities nationwide to receive the funding, which was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant, according to an announcement from U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar.

Funding for the grant came down thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, which passed in 2021 largely along party lines.

"As the only representative in our region to vote for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law," Escobar, D-El Paso, said in the announcement, "I'm proud that even three years later, we're continuing to see the direct and robust benefits on the ground in our community."

The grant represents a significant leap forward for Escobar's Climate Crisis Advisory Committee, a collective of Borderland community leaders, county representatives, utilities, environmental activists and other stakeholders launched two years ago.

For city Grants and Strategic Initiatives Manager Omar Martinez, who led the charge in drafting the city's grant proposal, the funding represents only the first step in the city's larger plan to tackle climate change.

"This project is one of multiple planned climate change-combatting projects," Martinez said. "It's an entire portfolio that is probably going to be about $600 million based on our current vision. This win, we've got to celebrate it and we are confident this win will help us get additional wins."

Additional support

While the $15 million grant will go a long way toward installing the new EV charging stations, the funding will be supplemented by El Paso Electric in collaboration with the county.

El Paso Electric is partnering with the county to contribute an additional $3.75 million to the effort, which Martinez said could come in cash or through partnerships with utility vendors.

El Paso Electric is already partnering with the city and county on other sustainability projects, like bolstering microgrids at the El Paso International Airport, and was included in the grant application to "ensure this community could present a competitive edge," Martinez said.

"We are thrilled to contribute our expertise, and resources to the City of El Paso, the County of El Paso, the University of Texas at El Paso, and other stakeholders, to make the El Paso EV Charging Infrastructure Program a reality," said Jessica Christianson, Vice President of Sustainability and Energy Solutions at El Paso Electric, in a news release. "This significant grant award from the Department of Transportation marks a crucial milestone in our collective commitment to advancing sustainable transportation and reducing carbon emissions in our community."

"Electric vehicles are key to reducing our collective environmental impact," she added, "and this initiative aligns perfectly with our vision for a cleaner, more sustainable future for our region."

El Paso County Commissioner David Stout, himself a member of Escobar's Climate Crisis Advisory Committee, struck a similar chord.

"Being able to offer EV charging at Ascarate and the El Paso County Coliseum is a start in providing options for residents, and it's great to hear about plans to expand that option for more El Pasoans," Stout wrote in an email. "This kind of incremental process is essential and must be part of a holistic strategy that reduces vehicle pollution as outlined in the CCAC report, which states that concentrating vehicular traffic in already highly polluted areas is an environmental injustice."

Still, Stout warned that such environmental injustices are already on the horizon with the proposed Bridge of the Americas expansion and Downtown I-10 expansion.

"EV charging stations are good," he said, "and must be paired with a commitment to address the health impacts of these mega projects in environmental justice communities."

Where will the new charging stations be located?

While Escobar's announcement did not include exact locations for the dozens of new EV charging stations coming to El Paso, it did provide an overview of where they would be installed.

The new charging stations will be in "publicly accessible locations throughout the city," Escobar's announcement said, including two on Fort Bliss, four at ports of entry and "many more near retail businesses, multi-family housing complexes, and community centers."

"We have planned EV sites in city facilities, in county facilities, at Fort Bliss ... at public housing and other large quarters where we have underserved communities," Martinez said.

He also noted that a new EV charging station will be popping up along the historic Mission Trail through a partnership with Socorro.

"There's a lot of work to be done there," he said.

Four planned charging stations will be Level 3 Direct Current Fast Charging stations, while the remaining 70 will be Level 2 Commercial Charging sites.

Level 3 charging stations are faster because they deliver between 50 to 400 kilowatts directly to the vehicle's battery, compared to Level 2 stations which only produce between 7 and 19 kilowatts per hour.

When will the project begin?

As with all things where public funds are concerned, the actual installation process won't begin for at least a year.

Martinez said the city expects to receive the funding by May and will kick off three months of planning and meeting with the community to finalize site selections.

After that, the city will spend another six months on procurement and the environmental process. Then, the design process will begin, as well as permitting and utility relocation.

"We have a lot of public meetings scheduled throughout the design process ... and if we need to change a proposed location for the EV charging stations, we can do that," Martinez said. "Everything will be fully transparent ... so know that this will be a very public process."

But even that basic timeline, he said, could be derailed if there are any hiccups in accessing the necessary materials or securing the needed contracts and permits.

Still, Martinez believes the EV charging station project will have a domino effect on other projects. As electric vehicles become more affordable and accessible, the city will have the infrastructure to support the new boom and a step toward future projects like rooftop solar or additional microgrids.

There are already 3,900 electric cars in El Paso Electric's service territory, which stretches from El Paso to Van Horn, indicating that demand will only increase as used electric vehicles hit the market.

"The project really is a crucial step in implementing the city's climate action plan," he said. "The project itself is pretty much perfectly aligned with the city's climate action plan."

"This is the start of something great."

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso plans 74 new electric charging stations