Obama calls on agencies to transition to alternative vehicles

President Obama issued a memorandum Tuesday calling on agencies to develop a plan for transitioning the entire federal fleet to alternative fuel vehicles by 2015.

The plan is part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to cut oil imports by one-third by 2025 and to promote alternative vehicles. The federal government is the country’s largest vehicle fleet owner.

“Diversifying our transportation fleet with hybrids, electric vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles is a critical element in President Obama’s long-term plan to break our dependence on foreign oil and invest in America’s growing clean energy economy,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Tuesday.

The memorandum instructs federal agencies to develop a series of practices to acquire alternative fuel vehicles such as hybrids or electric vehicles, as well as vehicles that run on natural gas or biofuels. The memorandum also requires that agencies determine an “optimal fleet size” and establish a plan for reaching that goal.

The administration also announced that it has purchased its first electric vehicles. The 116 electric vehicles will by divided among 20 agencies as part of a pilot program aimed at incorporating the vehicles into the federal fleet more broadly.

The announcement comes more than a month after Obama announced a “Clean Fleet Partnership” in which companies receive assistance from the U.S. government in exchange for lowering their vehicle fleet’s oil usage through greater reliance on electric or hybrid vehicles.