The Triangle Clean Cities Coalition recognized the university for reducing petroleum use by more than 17,000 gallons over the past year.
Elon University was among a small group of organizations, governments and businesses in the greater Triangle region of North Carolina recognized this spring by the Triangle Clean Cities Coalition for avoiding higher consumption of gasoline by using alternative fuel vehicles.
Elon saved 17,271 gallons of petroleum last year by relying on vehicles that run on biodiesel and electricity. The amount of gas Elon saved by using alternative fuel vehicles equates to preventing 129 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
In less than a decade, Elon’s fleet has grown from no alternative fuel vehicles to one where 42 percent of its vehicles use alternative fuel. The shift was coordinated by Keith Dimont, supervisor of automotive services, who accepted the recognition on Elon’s behalf.
“I was very proud to accept the award for Elon University knowing our work comes from a great team – staff, students, faculty and administrators – who work together,” Dimont said.
Triangle Clean Cities Coalition is a U.S. Department of Energy program founded in 1999 with the aim of improving air quality and reducing dependence on imported petroleum. The coalition helps businesses and organizations adopt the use of alternative fueled vehicles.
In 2014, Triangle Clean Cities Coalition stakeholders collectively displaced 4 million gallons of petroleum, the equivalent of taking 7,500 cars off the road for a year.
For more information on the efforts of automotive services incorporating alternative fuel vehicles into Elon’s fleet, view a profile story in the Office of Sustainability’s Fall 2014 newsletter.
– Article by Jessica Bilecki, Office of Sustainability