Pagosa Springs project included
By Hailey Sams | SUN Intern
Colorado has a state goal of reaching 940,000 light-duty electric vehicles (EVs) on roads by 2030, according to a press release sent out from the Office of Gov. Jared Polis.
To reach this goal, Colorado is extending the state’s public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) announced $17 million in grant awards through its Direct-Current Fast-Charging (DCFC) Plazas program, states the press release. These grants will grow Colorado’s network of 871 fast-chargers by more than 20 percent, adding 188 public chargers.
The release states that a 2021 commissioned report on the state’s charging infrastructure needs suggests that at least 5,000 fast-chargers are needed to reach the state’s goal.
“Transportation contributes more greenhouse gas pollution than any other sector in Colorado, making electric vehicle adoption a top priority to mitigate climate-warming emissions,” said CEO Executive Director Will Toor. “We recognize that this can only happen if people trust that an EV can get them where they need to go. The state and federal funding for this program will ensure EV charging is widely available so that all Coloradans can feel confident driving an EV.”
“One of the main concerns Colorado drivers raise about making the switch to an EV is the amount of publicly available charging,” Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Executive Director Shoshana Lew said via the press release.
According to the release, the grants are going to fund a list of projects and new charging stations all across Colorado, these include:
• Tesla Inc.: Fort Collins, Highlands Ranch, Springfield, Cortez, Kit Carson, Wray, De Beque, Durango, Pagosa Springs and Poncha Springs.
• Alta Convenience: Bayfield and Fruita.
• ChargePoint: Winter Park, Lakewood, Delta and Vail.
• Circle K Stores: Colorado Springs and Pueblo.
• City of Pueblo: Pueblo.
• eCAMION: Maybell and Lyons.
• Electrify America: Montrose.
• EVgo LLC: Strasburg.
• Francis Energy Charging LLC: Seibert.
• Kum & Go LLC: Steamboat Springs, Rifle and Wellington.
• Love’s Travel Stops: Buena Vista, Eads, Hudson and Parachute.
• Phillips 66: Thornton and Lakewood.
• Pilot Travel Centers: Grand Junction and Monument.
• TA Operating LLC: Walsenburg.
CEO expects the chargers supported by the current DCFC Plazas awards to become available by the end of 2025, according to the press release. Going forward, CEO anticipates offering two DCFC Plazas funding rounds per year, with the next opportunity expected to open in the fall.
New charging stations and infrastructure projects are anticipated to increase the security of buying an electric vehicle and grow the number of EV owners, according to the release. The targeted areas for new stations are based on filling gaps along Colorado’s federally designated alternative-fuel corridors, which are paths along which electric charging is needed.
CEO also prioritized projects in communities that were “disproportionately impacted” to ensure better air quality in these places, according to the release.
Colorado has had extremely rapid advancements in electrifying transportation, now ranking third in the nation for its progress, according to an Aug. 3 press release from CDOT.
“We’re proud of the progress we have made and look forward to continuing our work toward cleaner transportation and cleaner air for all,” Toor said via the CDOT press release.
