WASHINGTON – The United States Postal Service’s Sustainability and Energy Scorecard for 2011 shows that the agency has met its goals for greenhouse emission reduction, energy intensity reduction, and potable water intensity reduction, but has not met its goal to reduce fleet petroleum use.

The USPS’ goal is to reduced vehicle petroleum use 20% by FY-2015 from FY-2005 baseline. Although the Postal Service continues to make its delivery routes more efficient — eliminating more than 6,800 delivery routes and 1,700 vehicles in 2011 — petroleum use has increased 8.3% since 2005. The USPS said this is due to nearly 1 million addresses added to the delivery network every year.

Progress noted in the Scorecard include 22.4% toward a 30% facility energy intensity reduction goal by FY-2015, from a 2003 baseline, 18.5% toward a 26% potable water intensity goal by FY-2020, from a 2007 baseline, and 16.1% in 2011 toward a 20% greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal by FY-2020, from a 2008 baseline, according to a USPS release.

An aging fleet of delivery vehicles — more than 20 years old, each — drive an average of 18.5 miles with approximately 500 stops and starts each day. Financial limitations prevent near-term investment in a new fleet of vehicles, according to the release.

USPS continues to test alternate technologies to assure informed decisions when funding becomes available, such as this "long-life vehicle." The Postal Service’s green fleet consists of nearly 70 bicycle routes and nearly 41,000 vehicles capable of running on ethanol, biodiesel, compressed natural gas, propane, and electricity. The USPS has exceeded its goal of increasing alternative-fuel use 100% by FY-2015.

The Postal Service added that it receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations.

For more information on the USPS fleet, visit the USPS 2011 Sustainability Report page.