Energy report

Four floating nuclear power plants have been ordered by the Public Service Electric and Gas Company of New Jersey, with the first unit scheduled for delivery in 1984. The plants will be produced by Offshore Power Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, at its Blount Island manufacturing facility — which is currently under construction near Jacksonville, Fla. According to Richard M. Eckert, vice president of engineering and construction at PSE&G, the floating plants offer a number of benefits, including reduced construction time, production-line efficiency due to standardization, factory pretesting, and siting flexibility.