Politicians across the country are starting to lead by example when it comes to energy conservation and alternative fuel sources.

With fuel prices hitting record highs, even some of the highest-ranking state officials are trimming back. On Oct. 4, California Gov. Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill that allows public agencies to use biodiesel fuels in state-owned vehicles. The new law mimics his own move to alternative fuels in his personal life, including the world’s first hydrogen-power Hummer, which he introduced a year ago.

In the Midwest, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack announced last week that he was trading in his 2005 GMC Yukon – which, according to Consumer Reports, gets about 13 miles per gallon – for an SUV designed to run on an 85-percent ethanol gasoline blend known as E85.

“We’re now the No. 1 ethanol-producing state,” Matt Paul, a spokesperson for the Iowa governor, told the Sioux City Journal. “It makes sense for the governor of that state to have a flexible fuel vehicle that uses ethanol.”

Other high-ranking politicians are also following suit.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty recently announced that he would be getting rid of his Chevy Suburban for an E85-fueled vehicle. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the former Energy Secretary under President Bill Clinton, also announced that he’d be shedding his gas-guzzling SUV for a hybrid vehicle, according to The Associated Press.