Springs’ biodiesel fleet wins a top rank

Colorado Springs this week was ranked by Government Fleet Magazine as the top municipal biodiesel fleet in the nation.

The city beat out San Francisco and Austin, Texas, for the award.

The magazine also awarded the city 17th in its overall rankings of public sector fleets using alternative fuels.

Since 2003, more than 2,400 pieces of city equipment have run on biodiesel, consuming almost 1.6 million gallons of B20 biodiesel. That is the equivalent of more than 5 million pounds of carbon dioxide not making it into the atmosphere, or 491 passenger cars not driving for one year.

The Fleet Management Division maintains vehicles owned by the city, Colorado Springs Utilities, Memorial Hospital and city enterprises such as the Stormwater Enterprise.