Federal Agencies Agree to Abide By the Law

Four federal agencies have settled a lawsuit that sought to make them buy thousands of vehicles that would run on natual gas, electricity, ethanol, propane and other alternative fuels as required by the federal Energy Policy Act of 1992.

The Energy Policy Act required that 75% of all new cars and light trucks bought by federal agencies run on alternative fuels.

Originally the lawsuit was brought against 14 agencies, but 9 had already moved to meet the law's requirements. The CIA has not yet reported its vehicle purchases.

The agencies will be required an estimated 5,000 environmentally friendly vehicles. Peter Galvin, conservation director for the Center for Biological Diversity, which brought the lawsuit, believes that, "These purchases will help these technologies mature into the mainstream so that eventually the consumer has a broader choice of alternative fuel technologies. The public deserves environmentally sound technology that will allow us to have clean air and stem the tide of global warming."

Another part of the lawsuit is still to be decided; whether the Energy Department must require large private fleets, such as those run by FedEx or UPS, to buy alternative fuel vehicles.