To the Editor: Reducing emissions to improve fuel economy

With the recent declaration by the Environmental Protection Agency that greenhouse gases are dangerous pollutants, municipalities and businesses throughout the country are faced with the challenge of reducing the emissions and fuel consumption of their fleet vehicles.

There is no simple solution when it comes to improving fuel economy and reducing emissions of fleet and transit vehicles. This is especially true today when there are limited resources available to address a multitude of complex issues.

It makes economic and environmental sense to investigate the benefits of retrofitting before spending hundreds of millions of dollars on new hybrid vehicles. The realized reduction in fuel consumption and added years of useful life provide economic advantages, while reducing harmful emissions from a renewable source of energy is environmentally sound.

Conducting a thorough vehicle asset analysis and having a comprehensive, executable plan in place are the best ways to conserve energy and maximize return on investment.

Sam Jones

President

Recaptured Energy Technologies

Chicago

From the Feb. 3-9, 2010 issue.