Cortez was selected to receive a state grant for a high-powered electric vehicle charging station, and it looks like Montezuma County will move forward with the project.
ChargePoint Inc., an electric vehicle charging station based in California, has been awarded a $10.3 million state grant to install charging stations in over 30 communities across Colorado, including Cortez. They initially approached the city with their proposition, but due to the financial constraints Cortez currently faces, councilors were hesitant to take on the matching contribution.
The county commissioners, though, said they would like to take it on.
“We as the county would like to move forward with it, because it does service a big area, and it serves the city well,” said Commissioner Jim Candelaria at a joint meeting between the two entities Monday night. The three commissioners were present, along with County Administrator Shak Powers, Mayor Karen Sheek, Councilor Mike Lavey, and City Manager John Dougherty.
ChargePoint received a $10.3 million grant from the Colorado Energy Office, to be allocated to 33 or 34 different sites across the state. Cortez was identified by the Colorado Energy Office as qualifying for a Tier 2 site, which means they would get two charging stations and a power block, with the potential to expand to four stations and two power blocks in the future.
The Energy Office would fund up to $250,000 of the approximately $300,000 cost of a Tier 2 site, with site hosts expected to contribute 10% of the project costs. The estimated price to install the stations in Cortez would be around $316,000, with a site host contribution of about $38,000.
ChargePoint would like to install the stations and have them operational by April 2020.
In their presentation, the ChargePoint representatives cited the state’s efforts to promote electric vehicles, including a recent executive order signed by Gov. Jared Polis requiring at least 5% of an automaker’s new car lineup to be electric by 2023.
In 10 years, the stations could make about $149,000, based on a conservative estimate of one to two charging sessions per day, according to ChargePoint. Charging fees are at the discretion of the host, but would probably range between $10 and $15 a charge in Cortez, the representatives said.
While it was just a presentation on Oct. 8, the ChargePoint group has a fairly quick turnaround – they would like to start construction before adverse weather sets in.
The council didn’t offer a decision at that time, but at Monday’s joint meeting, the city councilors and staff members said that while they agree on the value of charging stations, the council is especially fiscally conscious right now, because of the current financial situation: a recently discovered embezzlement case has forced the city to freeze its accounts, as instructed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations, which has prevented the city from catching up on three years worth of delayed audits.
Without its audits in order, the city cannot apply for certain state funding streams.
“If we were financially able, the city would support it,” said Lavey.
Commissioners said they would like to move forward with the project themselves, though, for the community, the county, and visitors.
“Now they’re building these cars with a 250, 260-mile range, so now you’re getting electric vehicles that can go great distances,” said Commissioner Keenan Ertel, adding that the longer range leads to a greater need for charging stations for drivers who can now travel further distances with their electric vehicles.
The councilors and Dougherty informally told the county to move forward with the partnership.
ealvero@the-journal.com
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