CHICAGO – A report by GreenBiz.com has ranked ComEd's fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles as the seventh largest in the U.S. The "State of Green Business 2009" report lists five electric and gas utilities in the top 10. According to the list, ComEd's green fleet numbers 1,918 individual vehicles; however, the report does not include "flex-fuel" vehicles that use E-85 ethanol, of which ComEd has 250 in its fleet, according to ComEd.

Counting E-85 flex-fuel vehicles, alternative-fuel vehicles represent 63 percent of ComEd's total fleet of cars and trucks. Compared to a non-green fleet, these 2,168 vehicles reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 4,200 metric tons annually. This is the equivalent of removing about 1,300 cars (or 400 bucket trucks) from the road for a full year.

Most recently, ComEd added 50 new Toyota Prius hybrids to its fleet. This included 10 Priuses specially converted into rechargeable electric plug-in hybrids. The plug-in electric version consumes about 65 percent less fuel than a typical gasoline vehicle, and by adding these vehicles now, ComEd will be able to study their performance and effects on the electric grid prior to wide-scale consumer adoption.

The ComEd green fleet currently comprises:

• 1,774 trucks that use biodiesel fuel (20% soybean oil, 80% diesel).

• 250 E-85 flex-fuel vehicles that use ethanol.

• 91 hybrid Ford Escape SUVs.

• 40 Prius hybrids.

• 10 Prius Plug-in hybrid electrical vehicles (PHEV).

• 2 biodiesel-electric hybrid bucket truck.

• 1 liquid petroleum gas (LPG) bucket truck.