Valley Electric Association Partners with the Governor’s Office of Energy to Kick-off Phase II of the Nevada Electric Highway, Utilizing Volkswagen Settlement Funds for EV Charging Station in Amargosa Valley, NV

Amargosa Valley, NV - August 10, 2018

The Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy (GOE) and Valley Electric Association, Inc. (VEA) are announcing the most recent expansion and first electric vehicle (EV) charging station of the Nevada Electric Highway (NEH) initiative Phase II, utilizing Volkswagen settlement funds. NEH is a GOE-led initiative that seeks to advance EV charging stations along major highway corridors throughout the state, consistent with the objective identified in Nevada’s Strategic Planning Framework to complete an electric highway system serving the entire state by 2020.

Located at the State rest area along U.S. Highway 95 in Amargosa Valley, NV, this charging station will be designed and built by VEA, a member-owned electric co-op that provides power to Southern Nevada communities.

“VEA is proud and excited to again partner with the State of Nevada and the Governor’s Office of Energy on this important initiative to support the reduction of greenhouse gases by installing this electric vehicle charging station at the Amargosa Valley rest stop,” said Angela Evans, VEA CEO.

The station will consist of one Direct Current (DC) Fast Charger and two Level 2 Chargers. DC Fast Chargers can charge a vehicle in less than an hour. Level 2 chargers typically require several hours for a full charge but allow for a greater number of vehicles to take advantage of the proposed charging station. The proposed station will have covered parking, lighting, security surveillance and Wi-Fi.  Like all NEH charging stations, the Amargosa Valley station will be available to the public 24 hours a day.

Construction for the project is anticipated to take place later this year with the station open to the public in Spring 2019.


Nevada Electric Highway Background

The NEH began as a partnership between the GOE, VEA and NV Energy to install electric vehicle charging stations at cost-effective and strategic locations along U.S. 95, eliminating range anxiety for travelers between the urban centers of Reno and Las Vegas while also bringing business to rural communities. Phase I of the NEH, along U.S. 95, nears completion with three stations operational in Beatty, Fallon, and Hawthorne. Valley Electric Association partnered with the Governor’s Office of Energy in the construction of the first charging station along the NEH in the spring of 2016 at Beatty. Two final stations in Tonopah and Indian Springs are scheduled to come on-line in 2018 and early 2019 respectively. Phase II of the NEH is underway with plans for EV charging infrastructure deployment on the State’s remaining major interstate and highway corridors including I-15, I-80, U.S. 93, U.S. 50, and filling in the gaps along U.S. 95. Phase II development officially began in 2017 with the completion of the EV charging station in Panaca along U.S. 93 and will continue with use of VW settlement funding.

“The expansion of the Nevada Electric Highway is part of a broader effort to help meet our goal to become the nation’s leading producer and consumer of clean and renewable energy,” said Angela Dykema, Director of the Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy.  “Nevada has a wealth of domestic renewable resources like geothermal and solar, and transitioning our transportation infrastructure to accommodate electric vehicles will lessen our dependency on out-of-state resources, which accounts for over a third of the energy consumed in Nevada.” 

The NEH helps to achieve clean energy goals for the Silver State as identified in Nevada’ Strategic Planning Framework, 2016-2020, and has also helped to spur greater regional efforts such as the Regional Electric Vehicle Plan for the West, or REV West. The REV West group was formed by the governors of the 8 Interior West states to provide a forum for regional collaboration around interstate corridor electrification efforts, including creating best practices and procedures to enhance EV adoption, coordinating on EV charging station locations, creating voluntary minimum standards, and leveraging economies of scale.

NEH funding comes from many sources and incentive programs including funds from the State Energy Program Formula Grant, an annual source of funds from the U.S. Department of Energy. In addition, GOE and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection will utilize Volkswagen settlement funds for EV charging infrastructure along Nevada’s highways. The State of Nevada has dedicated the full 15 percent allowable of Nevada’s allocation of these funds to support the development of the NEH initiative. Lastly, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada recently approved the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstration Program, established by Senate Bill 145 of the 2017 Legislature, which will provide further support to accelerate Phase II of the NEH in NV Energy service territory. This newly created program will offer incentives (up to 75% of project costs) to private commercial host sites, identified by GOE, willing to participate in the NEH program. For host sites not identified by the GOE, NV Energy is also proposing to help those projects through their custom grant program (slated to start in September 2018).

About the Governor’s Office of Energy

The Governor’s Office of Energy oversees energy programs required through statute and those that help to meet the mission of the office, which is to ensure the wise development of Nevada’s energy resources in harmony with local community economic needs and Nevada natural resources. For more information about GOE, please visit www.energy.nv.gov. 

About Valley Electric Association
Valley Electric Association, Inc. (VEA) is a member-owned nonprofit electric utility headquartered in Pahrump, NV. While VEA started as a small rural electric utility in 1965, the company now provides electric service to more than 45,000 people within a vast 6,800-square-mile service area located primarily along the California-Nevada border, with the majority in Nevada. Valley Communications Association (VCA), a wholly owned subsidiary of VEA, began providing high-speed communications to our member-owners in the spring of 2016. VEA’s service area starts in Sandy Valley, southwest of Las Vegas, and extends north for more than 250 miles to Fish Lake Valley. For more information about VEA, please visitwww.vea.coop.

Contact

Kayla Meyer
Public Information Officer