FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2024
Contact:
Travis Madsen, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
720-937-2609, tmadsen@swenergy.org
[SANTA FE, NM] – Today, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) authorized Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS) to invest up to $14 million in electric vehicle (EV) programs and infrastructure over the next three years.
The approved investments include:
- Rebates for residents who install EV chargers at their homes (with extra funding available for low-income customers and underserved communities);
- Financial support for businesses who install EV charging for their fleets, for their customers or for the general public; and
- Advisory services to help customers understand that EVs can save them money on transportation compared to gasoline or diesel; and to help customers navigate the process of acquiring and deploying an EV.
- A $150,000 community partnership grant program to engage underserved communities around transportation electrification incentives and benefits.
Transportation is the second-largest source of climate-warming emissions in New Mexico. It is also the second-largest expense for the typical family, behind only housing. EVs are an important tool that New Mexicans can use to help clean up that pollution, and to save money.
“The investments approved today will help more families and businesses save money on driving, while helping to clean New Mexico’s air and protect our climate,” said Travis Madsen, Transportation Program Director at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project. “Let’s charge ahead.”
Mr. Madsen testified in the proceeding that a typical family in Roswell (Chaves County) could save as much as $2,500 per year on fuel by driving EVs charged at home, instead of conventional combustion vehicles. That would reduce a $3,000 yearly total gasoline bill to just $500 for electricity. (A typical Chaves County family owns ~2 cars and drives just under 21,000 miles per year.)
“Low-income New Mexicans want to save money while achieving clean air and addressing climate change,” said Ona Porter, Founder Emerita of Prosperity Works. “Transportation electrification is one avenue we can participate in and make a big difference. If effectively implemented, the approved program will help connect low-income populations to electrification benefits.”
State law directs investor-owned electric utilities to invest in transportation electrification. The decision today approves SPS’s second transportation electrification plan, covering the period from 2025-27. The investments align with Governor Lujan Grisham’s overall policy direction on climate change and will supplement support available through state and federal EV tax credits. The investments will also help New Mexico achieve EV deployment targets set out in the state’s Advanced Clean Cars and Advanced Clean Trucks policies. The investments also align with the Clean Fuel Standard currently under development, a policy that will steer New Mexico’s transportation fuel supply toward more climate-friendly energy sources, including electricity.
In the proceeding, Mr. Madsen served as the expert witness for the Coalition for Clean and Affordable Energy, represented by Charles De Saillan, Esq. Ms. Porter served as the expert witness for Prosperity Works, represented by Cara Lynch, Esq.
The Commission’s final decision on the plan is available on the NMPRC website under Case #24-00120-UT.
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The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is a public interest organization promoting greater energy efficiency, clean transportation, and beneficial electrification in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. swenergy.org
Prosperity Works builds the capacity of communities and organizations, and advocates for policies that generate economic prosperity for all New Mexicans. prosperityworks.net
The Coalition for Clean and Affordable Energy (CCAE) uses strategically focused political action, legal advocacy, scientific analysis, grassroots organizing, and public education and communication to advance clean energy policy and programs. ccaenm.org
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