Dallas gets high marks for alternative fuel use
by JENNIFER CHAMBERLAIN / The Dallas Morning News
March 6, 2007
Dallas received high marks in a new survey of alternative fuel use among the 50 largest U.S. cities.
T With 39 percent of its city vehicles using alternative fuels, Dallas ranked No. 5 in a report released Monday by SustainLane Government, which tracks data and offers resources on sustainability programs, policies and practices for state and local governments. No. 1 was Las Vegas, where 63 percent of the city fleet uses alternative fuels.
Dallas has been on the "cutting edge" of alternative fuel use since the early 1990s, said Jack Ireland, director of the city’s equipment and building services department. Dallas has received numerous recognitions for these efforts, including a Clean City National Partner Award from the Energy Department in 2000.
With the Dallas-Fort Worth consistently exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum acceptable levels for pollutants, air quality is a top priority, Mr. Ireland said.
"The city has been aggressive on this and will continue to be," he said.
Dallas currently has over 1,200 compressed natural gas and hybrid electric cars, light trucks and vans in its fleet, and just last week received approval from the City Council to buy 33 additional CNG sedans, the cost of which will be partially offset through grant funding.
Additionally, the city is exploring the possibility of using hybrid electric or liquefied natural gas technology for its sanitation fleet, said Ramiro Lopez, assistant director of equipment and building services. Each program is evaluated to make sure the economics make sense, he said.
"We still have to balance environmental stewardship with the taxpayers’ dollar, and so far we’ve been successful at doing that," Mr. Lopez said.
