Los Alamos County starts installing fast chargers at Mesa Public Library

Two direct-current fast chargers are headed to Mesa Public Library, giving Los Alamos County a more visible public charging site in the middle of town for residents, commuters and visitors who need a reliable place to plug in while they are downtown.

Los Alamos County said construction is scheduled to begin May 18 and wrap up by June 30 at the library, 2400 Central Ave. R&M Construction, LLC won the contract. During the work, the main parking lot and vehicle access to the drive-up book drop will be closed, and library visitors will need to use parking on the east side of the building near Fuller Lodge.

The project page puts the installation at $1,184,000, with $435,388 covered by a grant from the New Mexico Department of Transportation. When the chargers open, public use will cost 58 cents per kilowatt-hour. The work will include power supply systems, support pads, bollards to protect the equipment, an accessible charging station and an emergency power shut-off.

County sustainability officials and Public Works have framed the project as part of a broader push to make electric driving more practical in Los Alamos. Fast chargers matter because they cut wait times compared with standard charging, which can help drivers who do not have home charging or who are only in town briefly.

The library site also fits into the county’s climate planning. Los Alamos County adopted its Climate Action Plan in November 2024, setting goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2030, 80 percent by 2040 and reaching net-zero by 2050. County materials say the new chargers support those goals by reducing vehicle emissions, expanding EV charging and encouraging more people to switch to electric vehicles.

The charger buildout grew out of the county’s Fleet Conversion Plan and Community-Wide EV Charging Plan, which began in February 2025 and were scheduled for completion by Dec. 31, 2025. The county also held public feedback sessions in December 2025. That planning work identified Mesa Public Library, the Municipal Building, the Justice Center and White Rock Library among the places best suited for more chargers.

The library installation follows the county’s first two DC fast chargers at the Municipal Building, where officials held a ribbon-cutting on July 15, 2024. County planners have described the new sites as part of a network that can serve both the public and the county fleet, turning public facilities into anchors for a wider EV charging system rather than isolated one-off projects.