Going Green: Reducing Emissions from BC Hydro's Vehicle Fleet

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As a Crown Corporation, BC Hydro is proud to support the Provincial Government's plans to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the public sector by going carbon neutral. For us, that means reducing GHG emissions from operations, including our vehicle fleet, building energy use, and use of paper. Our approach is to reduce emissions first and then invest in offset projects that reduce GHG emissions in B.C.

Did you know?

BC Hydro's vehicle fleet contains approximately 2,400 vehicles that are used on a daily basis throughout BC Hydro's operations. From bucket trucks to meter readers, from our outreach teams to construction services, vehicles are an important part of maintaining a safe and secure supply of electricity. In 2008, these vehicles emitted approximately 20,000 tonnes of GHG emissions, which represents 80% of BC Hydro's carbon neutral program emissions.

BC Hydro has developed a Greening the Fleet program to reduce GHG emissions, improve worker safety and reduce costs. We are focusing on three key areas – reducing engine idling, eco-efficient driving and promoting new technologies.

Idling gets you nowhere

Excessive idling wastes a significant amount of fuel and money and generates needless GHG emissions. According to Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency, if drivers of light-duty vehicles avoided idling by just three minutes a day, over the year Canadians would collectively save 630 million litres of fuel and 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, and $630 million in fuel costs (assuming a fuel cost of $1.00/L). At BC Hydro, we are launching an Idle-Free Campaign in fall of 2009 to reduce unnecessary idling and help save fuel and reduce our environmental impact.

Drive smart

But avoiding idling is just one way that we can reduce GHGs. We are also piloting a new eco-efficient driver training program which helps drivers minimize fuel use, reduce engine wear and tear and drive safely. It will cover many tips like:

• Avoiding hard accelerations and jackrabbit starts and quick stops;
• Leaving adequate time to complete trips;
• Driving the speed limit;
• Maintaining proper tire pressure; and
• Keeping the windows up on highway drives.

Innovative technology

BC Hydro's vehicle fleet currently contains over 100 hybrid vehicles, six smart cars, nine light-duty hydrogen powered trucks, and 180 vehicles running on biodiesel or high-ethanol fuels. In 2009, BC Hydro added three plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to the fleet in a partnership program with the B.C. Government and the City of Vancouver.

Buying the right-sized vehicle is just as important as driving it efficiently. At BC Hydro, our purchasing policy encourages downsizing vehicles when ordering replacement vehicles and choosing vehicles with flexible fuel options. This ensures that vehicles are of optimal size for the job and can take advantage of emerging fuel technologies like biodiesel and hybrid vehicles.

In addition, we are currently leasing a hybrid heavy-duty line truck for our Lower Mainland operations – the first of it kind in B.C. It delivers significant fuel savings and has the ability to operate on biodiesel, a blend of clean burning fuel made from renewable resources, with the added benefit of reducing noise pollution.

Our Greening the Fleet program is expected to deliver significant benefits to BC Hydro including decreased GHG emissions, decreased use of fuel, increased employee safety, and reduced costs across the vehicle fleet.

Five ways to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions

• Walk, bike, carpool or take transit to get to one of your regular destinations each week – every litre of gasoline produces 2.4kg of CO₂, a major greenhouse gas.
• Keep your vehicle fully tuned – a poorly maintained engine can use up to 50 per cent more fuel and produce 50 per cent more CO₂ than one that runs properly.
• Don't idle – if you stop for more than 10 seconds, except in traffic, turn off your engine and save fuel, money and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Drive the posted speed limit – increasing your cruising speed from 100km/h to 120km/h will increase fuel consumption by about 20 per cent.
• Drive smoothly: When combined, speeding, quick acceleration and hard stops – all considered aggressive driving – can increase fuel consumption by 25 percent. Driving smoothly is safer and more fuel-efficient.