FedEx, UPS and Verizon Help Launch DOE Alternative Fuel Program as AT&T Announces 1m Gallon Mark

AT&T, FedEx, PepsiCo, UPS and Verizon are charter members of the National Clean Fleets Partnership, a new White House initiative to help large companies incorporate electric vehicles, alternative fuels and fuel-saving measures into their fleets.

The partnership, to be run by the Department of Energy, seeks to help large fleets across the country cut petroleum use by 2.5 billion gallons by 2020. The initiative will offer companies technical assistance and purchasing help to encourage companies to adopt vehicles using alternative fuels including electricity, natural gas, biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen and propane.   The five charter members are planning to deploy over 20,000 advanced technology vehicles, and will displace over 7 million gallons of petroleum a year, according to the DOE. These members operate five the nation’s ten largest fleets, and collectively own and operate more than 275,000 vehicles.   President Barack Obama, energy secretary Steven Chu and transportation secretary Ray LaHood launched the initiative in a visit to a UPS shipping facility in Landover, Maryland on Friday. The event followed an energy policy speech by Obama on Thursday, in which he called for greater use of natural gas and biofuel, and more domestic oil and gas drilling, to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil.   Continue reading about The National Clean Fleets Partnership on EnvironmentalLeader.com...   UPS13078