Some Army installations could be powered by nuclear microreactors under an executive order recently issued by President Donald Trump.
The order, published May 23, calls for deploying advanced nuclear reactor technologies for national security and directs Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll to establish a program using the technology for both installation and operational energy.
It orders the operation of a nuclear reactor at a domestic military base or installation by Sept. 30, 2028.
“Advanced nuclear reactors include nuclear energy systems like Generation III+ reactors, small modular reactors, microreactors, and stationary and mobile reactors that have the potential to deliver resilient, secure, and reliable power to critical defense facilities and other mission capability resources,” according to the order.
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Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George took multiple questions from various committee members on the initiative.
Driscoll indicated his support for the move in response to a question from Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., as to where microreactors fit into America’s national security strategy.
“I think microreactors can be an incredible asset as we solve against the future energy needs of the United States Army, both CONUS [continental United States], OCONUS [outside the continental U.S.] and peacetime and wartime,” Driscoll said. “We are excited to lead that effort.”
Neither Driscoll nor George had details as to which installation might feature such a reactor.
But both said the reactors could provide energy resilience and independence for some installations.
Pentagon officials announced in early 2022 that the Defense Department would build a nuclear microreactor that could be flown to an austere site by a C-17 cargo plane and set up to power a military base.
The initiative, dubbed “Project Pele,” outlined a 40-ton reactor that could fit in three to four 20-foot shipping containers and provide one to five megawatts of power on full power for up to three years before refueling.
The name is a reference to the Hawaiian deity Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanos. The acronym also stands for Portable Energy for Lasting Effects.
The Pentagon awarded an initial $300 million contract in June 2022 to Lynchburg, Virginia-based BWX Technologies to build the reactor.
Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.