NAFA Supports EEI White Paper On Utility Fleets And Electrification

On July 23, NAFA extended our support of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and their efforts to advance sustainability regarding fleet adoption of electric vehicles. EEI has released a white paper, "Transportation Electrification: Utility Fleets Leading the Charge," that focuses on the electric power industry’s effort to accelerate the expansion of electric transportation in commercial and retail markets, beginning with electric utility fleets. The paper encourages investor-owned electric utilities to meet an industry-wide goal to spend at least five percent of annual fleet acquisition budgets on plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and technologies.

The white paper is part of an effort to accelerate the adoption of PEVs and plug-in technologies by utilities, and it was written by a steering committee comprised of utility fleet directors from across the country.

NAFA President Claude A. Masters, CAFM; Manager, Acquisition and Fuel Florida Power & Light offered his support for EEI's initiatives. "This year, NAFA introduced the Sustainable Fleet Standard Program to our Membership and we are in the final stages of its beta phase. While NAFA has a 'fuel-neutral' philosophy, the Association recognizes that electric vehicles will be a major player in how fleets will get to their carbon footprint goals." Masters provided valuable input in the development of the white paper as a member of EEI’s Fleet Electrification Steering Committee.

In agreement, NAFA Chief Executive Officer Phillip E. Russo, CAE, added, "NAFA is enthusiastic about the potential for electric vehicles with respect to fleet usage, and we encourage all the stakeholders in the entire energy industry to look into how the fleet profession can spur on growth. Sustainability is an important subject in the fleet world and EVs are key to making that happen."

According to the paper, electrification of the transportation sector is a potential "quadruple win" for electric utilities and society, potentially enabling electric utilities to support environmental goals, building customer satisfaction, and reducing operating costs.

"The electric power industry is a tremendous leader in supporting electric transportation, but we must continue to strengthen our efforts and lead by example. One way we can do that is by leveraging our industry’s buying power to purchase more PEVs for our fleets," said EEI President Tom Kuhn. "The white paper released today is a road map for a long-term, coordinated effort to further spur the development of electric vehicle technologies in the electric transportation market."

Russo concluded, "I encourage NAFA Membership to download and share this white paper from EEI and to determine how EV might benefit their fleets."

The expansion of electric-based vehicles in utility fleets expects to help utilities:

Reduce operating costs for fuel and maintenance
Extend useful lives of the units based on their mechanical simplicity
Improve crew safety through noise reduction (i.e., the ability to operate a bucket truck at height and still communicate with crew members on the ground)
Extend work hours of crews performing non-emergency work in communities with noise restrictions
Reduce carbon emissions
Provide another avenue to engage customers about the products and services electric utilities provide

"Transportation Electrification: Utility Fleets Leading the Charge" is available at: http://www.nafa.org/utilityfleetsleadingcharge

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