Environmentally Preferable Procurement

Since passage of the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) in 1992, the U.S. federal government has imposed procurement restrictions on state government fleets. Regulations, overseen by the Department of Energy (DoE), require that a high percentage of new state fleet acquisitions be “green” alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). This article first reviews AFV technologies, advanced technology designs, and alternative fuels. A discussion of the EPAct mandates and other policy incentives for state fleets follows. The next section presents findings of a survey of state fleet managers regarding their compliance obligations. The article concludes with a discussion of the recently passed EPAct of 2005 and how its provisions may affect the continued greening of state fleets. </jats:p