USPS considers electric

USPS, in an effort to meet a federal mandate to reduce energy use 30% by 2015, has already taken steps to cut back on its electricity use, reports Sustainable Industries. The article continues:

Now it wants to serve as a key energy storage asset for the nation’s power grid.

Rep. Jose Serrano recently introduced H.R. 4399, The American Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Act, which would authorise the addition of 20,000 electric-drive delivery vehicles to the USPS fleet.

With a fleet of 221,000 vehicles, USPS could play a big role in bringing EVs to market, according to Rep. Serrano, chairman of the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government subcommittee, which oversees federal payment to USPS.

Known as the “e-Drive bill,” it would allocate up to $2bn for a two-phase, multi-track testing and manufacturing program for electric drive vehicles within USPS. Both new and converted electric postal vehicles would serve as power storage devices for the grid, helping ease peak loads and store energy from intermittent or fluctuating sources. US Department of Energy, which granted $2.4bn in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate the manufacturing and deployment of the US batteries and electric vehicles last year, would administer the programme.