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For immediate release: 4:00 PM – Friday, November 30, 2018  

The thousands of dollars of available electric vehicle (EV) grants, rebates and incentives will be discussed at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Pueblo West’s first public EV charging station on Wednesday, December 19 at 2:00 p.m.

The key note speaker will discuss how consumers can take advantage of EV rebates and tax credits. She will also discuss funding programs such as Charge Ahead Colorado, which will fund up to 80 percent of EV charging stations and Alt Fuels Colorado which funds up to 40 percent of electric transit and freight vehicles. She will also explain the economic and environmental benefits of EV adoption. 

San Isabel Electric broke ground on the charging station in October. When construction is complete, the new charging station will consist of one Level 2 charger and one Level 3 charger. Level 2 chargers run on the same electric current found in homes. Level 3 chargers operate on larger currents and are often referred to as a fast or rapid charger, because the larger current allows drivers to charge vehicles more quickly.

“Helping members get the gasoline equivalent of 100 plus miles per gallon aligns perfectly with our goal as an electric cooperative to save our members time, energy and money. Driving electric gets you where you want to go faster, because you can avoid the pump, for less money, because electricity is significantly cheaper than petroleum fuels, and driving electric is just more fun. EVs have instant acceleration,” San Isabel Electric General Manager Reg Rudolph said.  

San Isabel Electric members have rebate opportunities available to them, that aren’t available to non-members.

San Isabel Electric is offering a $500 rebate for home EV chargers to San Isabel members only beginning in 2019. 

San Isabel Electric members are also eligible to receive $3,000 off the 2018 Nissan Leaf until January 2, 2019. To claim the Nissan Leaf rebate, San Isabel Electric members must present a San Isabel Electric bill with the buyer’s name on the bill and proof of residence to a participating Nissan dealership. The rebate will be taken off the purchase price of the vehicle.

Colorado has the greatest amount of EV tax incentives and rebates available to residents. Colorado residents who buy or lease a new EV are eligible to receive:

  • Up to $7,500 in federal tax incentives.
  • Up to $5,000 in Colorado EV tax incentives for the purchase of a new EV.
  • Up to $2,500 for the lease of a new EV.

Incentives are claimed when buyers or lessors file their U.S. income taxes. Specific questions about tax incentives should be referred to tax professionals.

Pueblo County received a $16,000 grant from the Colorado Energy Office’s Charge Ahead program to install a DC fast charger at the Pueblo West Library. In addition to the grant, this charging station was made possible by the Pueblo City-County Library District, Pueblo County Government, Bank of the San Juans, the Pueblo West Metro District and San Isabel Electric. 

Two to three vehicles may be charged at the station at the same time, based on how the vehicles are parked.

Electricity will be sold at the same rate electricity is sold to residential San Isabel members. To use the charging station, EV owners must register for a $2 account Charge Point account. Charge Point is the manufacturer of the charging station.

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As a not-for-profit cooperative utility, San Isabel Electric provides electricity to communities throughout southern Colorado. Serving nearly 20,000 Member-owners and 24,000 meters, San Isabel Electric has been keeping the lights on since 1938. We don’t just serve communities. We are part of communities.