WHITE PLAINS

VATS of grease may make health advocates cringe, but Westchester County officials see excess cooking oil from the county’s 3,500 restaurants as a means of cleaner, cheaper fuel.

With seven vehicles that run solely on fuel made from cooking oil and 125 vehicles that run on a mix of cooking oil and diesel fuel, the county has begun a program to take excess oil off local restaurateurs’ hands free to use it as an alternative energy source.

At a news conference on Tuesday to announce the program, Andrew J. Spano, the county executive, hailed the program as part of the county’s continuing effort to cut costs while reducing emissions that harm the environment.

For every 10,000 gallons of cooking oil collected, the county could save about $25,000 in diesel fuel costs, Mr. Spano said. It could also provide savings to restaurant owners, many of whom rely on private disposal services to haul away frying oil that cannot be reused, he said.