Floating Museum In Camden Gets Major Energy Overhaul
CAMDEN, NJ (CBS) -- The USS New Jersey might be retired from active service, but the ship is getting a major upgrade along the Camden waterfront.
Lighting and heating improvements are being made to bring the floating museum into the 21st century.
Fluorescent lighting aboard the vessel is making way for energy efficient LED's, and they're switching the heating system from oil to natural gas.
The work will cost about $1.4 million, but the Board of Public Utilities is providing a half million of that, and energy savings will be significant, according to Philip Rowan, CEO of the Home Port Alliance, responsible for the ship's upkeep.
"Combined together, we're looking at saving $200,000 from our electric bill," Rowan told KYW Newsradio. "Now that's probably not the best thing for the shareholders of PSE&G to see less money going to them, but we really appreciate their cooperation, because it's a real boon to us."
And he added that the savings won't be wasted.
"That's money that can go to restoring the deck and programming to open up new area of the ship," he said.
It's thought that work will be completed by late summer. Future improvement plans include using LED's to better illuminate the exterior of the ship at night, again at a lower cost.
