Last year, the Mays Landing-based utility company switched to B20 biodiesel at all six of its company-operated fuel sites. B20 is a mix of 80 percent diesel and 20 percent biofuels, which come from natural vegetable oils or animal fats.

Atlantic City Electric's fleet uses 548,000 gallons of fuel each year, including 333,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

The utility also has six hybrid vehicles in its fleet of passenger cars, SUVs and light trucks, and plans to purchase 12 additional hybrids this year as current ones need replacing.

The company's endorsement of hybrids is part of a larger energy plan that includes reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. New Jersey has committed to cutting such emissions 20 percent by 2020.

South Jersey Industries, meanwhile, has been purchasing its own hybrid models, including a Toyota Camry, three Mercury Mariners and two Honda Civics with Integrated Motor Assist technology. The total cost is about $169,600, SJI spokeswoman Joanne Brigandi said.

The trucks the Folsom-based gas utility uses in field operations are not currently available as alternate fuel vehicles. But if that changes, SJI will consider converting them, Brigandi said.

"Purchasing hybrid vehicles is one action among many that we take to help reduce our carbon footprint," she added.

At New Jersey Natural Gas, which serves customers in Ocean County, more than half of its 89 medium-duty trucks run on B20 biodiesel fuel.

When appropriate, the gas utility will replace vehicles in its fleet with hybrid versions, NJNG spokesman Michael Kinney said.

Randall Solomon, executive director of the New Jersey Sustainable State Institute, says hybrids are sure bets for people wanting to reduce their carbon footprints. Biodiesels, however, are more complicated.

"Two years ago, everyone was really excited about biodiesels, and then a lot of new studies came out showing that they're not as carbon-neutral as people thought and they can also create food competition," Solomon said.

While biofuels are derived from all types of natural products, such as soybeans and sugar cane, corn-based ethanol has been the subject of controversy this year. Opponents say it takes more fuel to grow corn and turn it into ethanol than what is actually created through the process. In addition, less food is produced because farmers are growing corn for fuel - contributing to increases in food prices, critics say.

Still, Solomon said, utilities employing biofuel sources "do deserve kudos for trying."

John Borruso, a sales associate with Fuel:Bio, a commercial producer of biodiesel in Union County, said companies need to do more than change what goes into the fuel tanks of their fleets. He said energy producers should be using biodiesel to fuel actual power plants.

"It's going to take radical steps to change emissions," Borruso said.

E-mail Erik Ortiz:

EOrtiz@pressofac.com