Army to Spend $2B on Nuke Microreactors08/27 06:13

   

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. Army announced Wednesday that it plans to add 
nuclear microreactors at five military bases from New York to Texas as a 
reliable source of energy independent of the commercial electric grid.

   The announcement comes as the Trump administration pushes hard to develop 
the next generation of nuclear power, including billions in loans for large 
nuclear reactors to meet skyrocketing power demand from data centers and a 
pilot program to boost advanced reactor designs and projects for military and 
civilian use. No nuclear microreactors are supplying power to the commercial 
electric grid in the United States today.

   Five companies selected by the Army will be awarded up to $2.2 billion in 
total over five years to own, construct and operate the microreactors, if they 
hit set milestones along the way for their performance. The Army expects that 
more than 20 nuclear microreactors will be built and operated.

   Army and industry officials say microreactors offer a resilient power source 
for critical infrastructure at military installations in case the grid fails. 
Reactors can run for years without refueling.

   Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the awards will accelerate the military's 
ability "to deliver safe, reliable baseload power directly to our 
installations. We are building the energy resilience necessary to project 
combat power globally, without relying on potentially vulnerable external 
grids," he said.

   The grants are part of the Army's "Janus Program" launched last year to 
deliver next-generation nuclear energy. Officials hope to push nuclear 
development forward so that advanced reactor designs move beyond experiments 
and prototypes to provide power for years to come. This will be the "spear 
tip," said Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for 
installations, energy and environment.

   "That is the transition that we are trying to effect here," he said on a 
call with reporters Wednesday. "These are not meant to be Army-specific 
designs."

   Critics of building more nuclear reactors say they're too expensive and 
riskier than other energy sources. The Army program is using the military's 
"deep pockets to provide a hidden subsidy" to nuclear companies that can't find 
private-sector customers for their hypothetical and uneconomical reactors, said 
Alan J. Kuperman, associate professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public 
Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and coordinator of the Nuclear 
Proliferation Prevention Project.

   The reactors will be licensed by the Army, rather than the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, which licenses commercial nuclear reactors. Kuperman 
said it's "a dangerous scam on many levels."

   Waksman said these reactors will shut down safely in case of a failure, 
they're small and the Army wouldn't add them to installations without being 
certain they are safe. He said the Army is working on a deal with the Energy 
Department to remove radioactive waste, and there won't be any long-term 
storage on these installations.

   The Army is working to align its regulatory processes as much as possible, 
Waksman said, so that companies won't need major changes to their designs to be 
later licensed by the NRC. Along with federal funding, the Army expects 
billions of dollars in private capital investment.

   Army leads the military's adoption of nuclear energy

   President Donald Trump signed executive orders in May 2025 to speed up the 
development of nuclear power. The Army was tasked with ensuring that an 
advanced reactor would start operating at a domestic military installation no 
later than Sept. 30, 2028. The Janus program is named for the ancient Roman god 
of transitions.

   Officials know that delivering nuclear power to a military base will be a 
challenge, so they picked five companies in case one or more fail, Waksman 
said. The selected companies are: Antares Nuclear at Fort Bragg in North 
Carolina; BWXT at Fort Campbell in Kentucky; General Atomics Electromagnetic 
Systems at Fort Hood in Texas; Radiant Industries at Fort Benning in Georgia; 
and Westinghouse Government Services at Fort Drum in New York.

   Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asked the Army to select Fort Drum. The 
critical missions Fort Drum supports require secure power generation, the New 
York Democrat said.

   The military installations will remain connected to the grid. The reactors 
would not completely power them. Each reactor will provide between 1 megawatt 
to 20 megawatts of power, depending on the company's design. Major bases use as 
much power as a small city. Antares and Radiant are planning to deliver their 
reactors in three-packs, Waksman said.

   The Army now uses diesel as a primary backup for critical infrastructure. 
But in a conflict, Waksman said, the Army may not be able to move fossil fuels 
easily wherever it needs them.

   "That makes nuclear energy just a natural game changer," he said. "It makes 
sense for the Army to take the lead here."

   A reactor at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, completed in 1957, was the first 
nuclear power reactor to provide electricity to a commercial power grid in the 
United States for an extended period, according to the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers.

   Companies say this will accelerate US nuclear development

   California-based Antares reached a crucial milestone under the U.S. pilot 
program that could allow it to produce electricity at Idaho National Lab next 
year. The company said the Army's announcement extends its momentum. 
Westinghouse Government Services said it's proud to support the Army's efforts 
to strengthen energy security and innovate.

   Tori Shivanandan, president and chief operating officer of California-based 
Radiant, said the Army's $750 million award "shows confidence in Radiant's 
product and ability to manufacture, deploy and safely operate nuclear 
microreactors for the American military." The Janus program "will build a 
stronger and more resilient America," she said.

   General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems said its reactor is designed to 
operate in remote, off-grid and extreme environments for 40 years. It said it 
will draw on more than 70 years of nuclear expertise to provide safe, 
dependable and independent power for the military.

   Rex Geveden, BWXT's president and chief executive officer, said, "As we 
commence work on the Janus program, we are delivering the nation's most 
credible and reliable path to deployable nuclear power."