USPS Aims to Cut Energy Use by a Third

The United States Postal Service (USPS) plans to reduce energy use 30 percent by 2015. USPS launched this week an internal communications and conservation program to meet this goal, the organization announced.

The organization is trying to get the message across to 685,000 workers in 34,000 facilities to reduce energy use by simple measures, such as turning off lights and computers or reporting HVAC problems.

USPS will turn to a variety of mediums to communicate with its workers, such as intranet, newsletter, hard copy publications and other employee periodicals. A similar get-out-the-message drive for its safety program enables USPS to cut injuries 50 percent.

"We patterned it after our safety program where we had fabulous results," said Communications Manager Joanne Veto.

In order to meet the 30 percent reduction goal, USPS is applying a variety of strategies, such as energy efficiency requirements for equipment, green building practices, lighting retrofits in processing plants, renewable energy systems and alternative fuel vehicles.

A pilot program employed earlier this year is attempting to collect energy use data for 600 sites, while another 500 locations are getting energy audits.