US Army selects 5 companies to deploy microreactors at military installations

The U.S. Army has picked five companies to build small nuclear power plants, called microreactors, at military bases around the country. These units produce between 1 and 20 megawatts of electricity and are meant to keep critical base operations running if the regular power grid goes down, while normally staying connected to it. Antares Nuclear and Radiant Industries will each build three reactors, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Benning, Georgia. BWX Technologies, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, and Westinghouse Government Services will each build one, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Drum, New York.

The project runs on about $2.2 billion in federal funding from 2027 through 2031, with private companies expected to cover most of the actual cost. The Army says it wants these reactors to eventually operate commercially without government subsidies, including possible sales to other customers. Officials describe the designs as able to shut themselves down safely without outside power, and say spent nuclear fuel will have to be removed from any base within two years of a reactor closing.

This is a military infrastructure program, not a residential energy initiative, so it does not create any new rebate, program, or option for homeowners. The Army is aiming for at least one reactor running by September 2028, with more than 20 planned across various sites within five years. If the technology proves reliable and cost-effective there, it could eventually influence the broader commercial nuclear power industry, but any impact on home electricity would be indirect and years away.