AT&T plans to purchase more than $500 million in vehicles running on alternative fuels over the next 10 years, with many of them coming from U.S. auto makers.

About 15,000 vehicles of 8,000 work vans or technician trucks will be purchased from Ford Motor Co, which runs on alternative fuels or the natural gas, to adopt the fuel as a way to reduce America’s dependence on oil imports.

Natural gas is cheaper, cleaner and we have plenty of it here domestically, said AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson, there are no easy solutions to the challenges facing our nation, this investment is a first step on our part to help boost other industries.”

The largest telecommunications company will also replace 7,100 other vehicles over the next decade with hybrids and other advanced technology power systems.

AT&T Ford Motor Company Energy