SANTA FE, September 21, 2023 – Mayor Alan Webber has signed the Charge@Work pledge as a commitment to supporting electric vehicle (EV) charging and clean transportation at Santa Fe workplaces. Santa Fe is the first city in the country to sign the pledge, which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Charge@Work initiative to help workplaces and public officials set up workplace charging programs.
“As one of the largest employers in Santa Fe, we have the opportunity to make a big impact by helping our employees switch to a cleaner commute,” said Mayor Alan Webber. “We know that transportation is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, so helping our employees switch to electric vehicles is an important step to reducing those emissions.”
As part of this commitment, the City of Santa Fe agreed to foster initiatives in the community, such as installing workplace EV chargers, providing workers with educational materials on electric transportation, developing transportation electrification plans, hosting EV test drive and informational events, creating EV purchasing incentives for workers, and developing e-mobility affinity groups. The Charge@Work team will provide a suite of tools, resources, and technical assistance to deploy more workplace charging for the City of Santa Fe. This technical assistance includes free site assessments for city facilities.
The City of Santa Fe has already installed 14 electric vehicle charging stations at its facilities for use by its workforce, which comprises over 1,400 employees. Seven of those charging stations are available to the public at facilities such as community centers, parking garages, and libraries. The City has also requested funding from the New Mexico Legislature for nine more charging stations.
The City of Santa Fe will benefit from cleaner air and environment through reduced emissions, lower car maintenance expenses, and increased worker satisfaction. On the electric grid in Santa Fe, switching to an electric vehicle reduces a driver’s greenhouse gas emissions by 70%. Santa Feans can view the City’s progress on vehicle electrification and other sustainability initiatives on the Sustainability Dashboard.
The City of Santa Fe is sponsoring the 2nd Annual Electric Car Show on the Santa Fe Plaza, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 30, 2023. The event, organized by PNM, will help residents learn about the benefits of driving electric and connect with EV drivers, vendors, and exhibitors to learn about how to electrify your transportation. City staff will be available at the event to answer questions.
