Energy Department expands ‘clean fleets’ program

Several more big companies including Best Buy and Pacific Gas and Electric are joining a year-old Energy Department program that helps corporations make their commercial fleets more fuel-efficient and transition to alternative-technology vehicles.

The expansion of the National Clean Fleets Partnership is part of an Obama administration effort to promote energy programs that don’t require action on Capitol Hill, where energy legislation is mired in election-year political struggles.

The department announced that Best Buy, PG&E, energy tech giant Johnson Controls, and the waste management and recycling company Veolia Environmental Services are joining the partnership.

The program provides technical aid and other resources to help companies reduce gasoline and diesel use by expanding efficiency and using electric vehicles and alternative fuels.

With the new arrivals, 18 companies including FedEx, Coca-Cola, AT&T, General Electric, Frito-Lay and others are part of the program launched last year.

“These national partners are increasing their competitiveness and helping to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement.

The companies, according to the department, are building on their existing efforts to transform their commercial fleets. For instance, Best Buy in recent years has increased its use of efficient vehicles driven by its “Geek Squad” tech-assistance teams.

“Best Buy is testing both electric and propane vehicles and has piloted telematics technology to help further reduce fuel use,” according to the Energy Department.