At AT&T, the Renewables Race Goes to the Fleet

Dallas-based telecom giant AT&T (News - Alert) placed 86th on Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 12th Annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List this year, after failing to receive a mention in 2010. Among the reasons for its enhanced image in 2011 may be its efforts to invest in renewable energy and to replace its fleet of petroleum-powered service vehicles with cars that run on compressed natural gas (CNG).

Indeed, by the end of the year, AT&T expects to have 8 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity online—up 5MW over its previous capacity. "We are working to incorporate additional renewable and alternative energy resources into our overall energy portfolio in a way that makes sense from an environmental and economic perspective," said John Schinter, AT&T's Director of Energy. "As renewable and alternative energy costs continue to become more cost-comparable to traditional energy prices, we will look for new and innovative opportunities to utilize these resources," added Schinter.

Earlier this month AT&T participated in the launch of the Department of Energy's Clean Cities' National Clean Fleets Partnership. AT&T is one of five charter members of this program, which FedEx, PepsiCo, UPS and Verizon (News - Alert) also are supporting. The fleets deployed by these charter members are among the nation's 10 largest, with a total of more than 275,000 vehicles. AT&T's fleet, alone, numbers more than 73,500 vehicles Their planned current and near-term petroleum reduction strategies will account for the deployment of over 20,000 alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and annual petroleum displacement in excess of 7 million gallons. DOE is challenging other companies to join this important effort. 

To drive its clean fleet program, AT&T already has initiated the following efforts:

In 2009. AT&T announced it would spend up to $565 million to deploy approximately 15,000 alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) through 2018. Progress to date is slow but significant: As of March 2011, AT&T has deployed more than 3,500 AFVs, including more than 2,400 CNG vehicles in 543 cities in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Through 2013, AT&T expects to purchase up to 8,000 CNG vehicles at an anticipated cost of $350 million

In 2010, AT&T avoided the purchase/use of one million gallons of gasoline as a result of its ongoing deployment of compressed natural gas (CNG) corporate fleet vehicles.

AT&T is committed to integrating sustainable business practices across its business. In addition to being honored by Corporate Responsibility Magazine, AT&T was also included in the 2010 Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI) and in the Carbon Disclosure Project's (CDP) 2010 Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI).