By the end of the summer, nearly 4,500 mercury-vapor street lighting fixtures lining the streets of Cherry Hill will be replaced by PSE&G with cleaner, greener induction lighting heads.

The township reached out to its main power provider several years ago requesting that it be first in line for any programs that increase the energy efficiency of public lighting structures. With a new PSE&G pilot project targeting that goal through the introduction of induction fixtures, Cherry Hill will indeed be the first community to see their traditional cobra-head-shaped street lights replaced with modern, green-colored models that use about half the energy, last twice as long, offer more illumination per watt, and remain virtually maintenance-free throughout their 10- to 20-year lifetimes, according to PSE&G officials.

The replacement of thousands of mercury-laden vapor lights will save the Township approximately $15,000 a year on its street-lighting bill, and remove hundreds of pounds of potentially hazardous material from overhead public lighting fixtures – all at no cost to the municipality. Cherry Hill is one of only 10 New Jersey communities selected for the pilot program. PSE&G officials expect to begin replacing the mercury-vapor lights within weeks, fanning work crews throughout the community to switch the lights over at a clip of about 400 fixtures a week.

“The only thing better than getting more efficient, aesthetic, and environmentally friendly street lights in place is getting them installed at no cost to taxpayers,” said Mayor Bernie Platt. “Being targeted for this pilot project spotlights the collaborative relationship we have been fostering with PSE&G – a company committed to helping us meet our goal of reducing electricity use and becoming a sustainable, energy-efficient community.”

Neither the Township nor PSE&G anticipates the work to have a significant impact on traffic patterns, and the project is anticipated to be completed by early September.