FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE:FPL) and Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK)–two of the largest U.S. utility companies–announced a commitment to transition their 10,000 company cars and trucks to plug-in hybrid or all-electric vehicles.
Duke and FPL said the transition will begin in 2010 with passenger vehicles and small trucks. The companies have set a goal that 100% of all new fleet vehicles will be plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by 2020.
Duke and FPL said they will work closely with manufacturers to test and
measure the effectiveness of prototype bucket trucks in 2011 and 2012.
The remainder of the commitment period will be spent transitioning
vehicles, educating the public and soliciting additional partners.
In making the announcement, the two utilities called on a wide
variety of organizations to commit to greening their vehicle fleets,
including corporations, governments, universities and other agencies.
"The more organizations that join this initiative, the more we can develop a sustainable transportation future," said Lew Hay, FPL Group chairman and CEO.
"A 10-year commitment gives us time to adopt, test and integrate new technology into fleets as a wider range of vehicles are developed," said Jim Rogers, chairman, president and CEO of Duke Energy. "Currently, the only near-term options for available PEV supply are sedans, minivans, vans and a few bucket trucks. Over a 10-year horizon, it is expected that options will be available for most utility service categories."
The FPL Group/Duke Energy initiative was developed following the March 2009 Clinton Global Initiative Planning Retreat, a forum for building industry leadership. The joint commitment represents potential revenues of at least $600
million for manufacturers who can produce viable plug-in electric
vehicles, the utilities said.
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