Green Wombat

photo: PSE&G
When it comes to being clean and green, California often gets the glory, what with the governator and all those Prius-driving eco-celebrities. But New Jersey – yes, New Jersey – gives the Golden State a run for its money when it comes to fighting global warming. The state offers some of the state’s biggest incentives for solar power and today New Jersey’s largest utility, Public Service Electric and Gas (PEG) announced it’s replacing a quarter of its 5,000-vehicle fleet with hybrids and biodiesel-powered trucks over the next decade. The utility estimated that switching 1,300 cars and trucks to run on alternative fuels will eliminate more than 81,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. PSE&G has purchased two of the first hybrid "bucket trucks" (photo above) that use batteries to operate the aerial lift rather than tap the gasoline motor. The utility’s fleet of 450 bucket trucks typically keep their engines running while the lift is in operation. Deploying hybrids will take a projected 73,000 tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere and save about 6.5 million gallons of fuel, according to PSE&G. Meanwhile on the West Coast, California utility PG&E (PCG) will be testing an all-electric truck from Phoenix Motorcars, and it and Southern California Edison (SCE), Ford (F) and the Electric Power Research Institute are working on developing a plug-in hybrid trouble truck.