Florida Power & Light (FPL), one of the largest commercial fleets in the country, has been named a 2014 recipient of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Air Excellence Award for its “Clean Fleet and Consumer Education Program.”

On the clean fleet side, FPL operates one of the largest clean vehicle fleets in the nation with 1,750 biodiesel-powered vehicles and 550 hybrid or plug-in electric vehicles. Ninety-two percent of FPL’s light-duty fleet is hybrid or plug-in electric, which helped reduce petroleum use by 295,000 gallons and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 2,500 metric tons in 2012.

FPL is also the largest user of biodiesel in Florida, reducing CO₂ emissions by 3,407 metric tons in 2012. With 18% of its bucket trucks being hybrid or plug-in electric, the company reported it has realized a savings of up to 60% in fuel and a reduction in emissions of up to 90% when also using biodiesel. In addition, FPL leverages “vehicle area network” technology to track and reduce vehicle idle time and miles traveled.

FPL is also actively engaged in the industry to help shape the future of clean transportation technologies. FPL serves on the boards of the Electric Drive Transportation Association and NAFA Fleet Management Association and supports CALSTART, an organization focused on promoting clean transportation. The company also works with manufacturers to establish vehicle specifications, including a partnership with Quantum to develop plug-in electric pickup trucks.

As far as raising awareness and educating customers and other stakeholders on the benefits of clean transportation options, FPL has launched a number of efforts including a plug-in electric consumer website; plug-in electric vehicle displays at nearly 100 community events annually; and blogs, videos, articles, fact sheets and other communications about plug-in electric vehicles, reaching more than 4.5 million customers.

FPL was also recognized as a Top 50 Green Fleet in 2013. Last year, the utility announced that by 2020, its vehicle purchases would be focused on hybrid and electric vehicles only.