...and if MY service was primarily situated in large, open areas with low pop densities, and high winds, with numerous alt-energy sources in the area, as opposed to hugging the densely-populated, older infrastructured coasts...

Seriously, though, the services take saving fuel pretty seriously when they can, at least in the pointy-tip side of the house. Running out of fuel in the middle of the pond (or desert) could impede one's chances for further promotion. We'd run around on 1 of 4 turbines, 2nd screw feathered, for upwards of 95% of the time. I could make 500K gallons last for 2 weeks, or I could make it last for 36 hours.

For Xcel's amusement, this philosophy did NOT apply to the soon-to-be decommed SSNs who would cruise everywhere at flank to deplete their cores as much as possible prior to deactivation.