PORTLAND, Maine --- Energy East Corp. announced plans to replace dozens of fleet vehicles with environmentally friendly models by the end of the year. The Energy East operating companies plan to put into service 78 Ford Focus partial zero emissions vehicles (PZEVs) and 100 Ford Escape hybrids that could yield a CO2 reduction of more than 825 tons per year. Energy East is a utility holding company that distributes electricity and natural gas in four northeastern states through subsidiaries Berkshire Gas, Central Maine Power, Connecticut Natural Gas, Maine Natural Gas, New York State Electric & Gas, Rochester Gas and Electric, and Southern Connecticut Gas. "Improving vehicle efficiency is just one action we have taken as a result of our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable business practices," said Richard Benson, senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Energy East. "We will continue to develop and implement creative solutions to minimize the effect we have on the environment and meet our continuous improvement standards." In addition, aggressive efforts to improve fuel efficiency across the entire Energy East fleet --- prohibiting suppliers from idling vehicles during deliveries and right-sizing the corporate trucking fleet --- have resulted in a reduction of more than 380 tons of CO2, the corporation said. The Energy East operating companies' increased use of re-manufactured tires accounts for an additional 40-ton reduction in annual CO2 emissions.