Army Commits Up To $2.2 Billion To Get Five Bases Partly Off The Grid They Will Remain On

WASHINGTON—The Army has committed up to $2.2 billion to place nuclear microreactors at five domestic bases, reducing dependence on the vulnerable commercial grid with reactors that will supply part of each base’s electricity while the bases remain connected to that grid.

Five contractors will own and operate the prototypes at Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, Fort Hood, Fort Benning and Fort Drum. Each design is expected to produce between 1 and 20 megawatts, while a major installation can consume as much electricity as a small city. Independence will arrive in a practical size that leaves room for the power company.

The milestone-based awards run from fiscal 2027 through 2031, and vendors receive federal money only after meeting technical goals. Army officials selected five companies partly because one or more may fail, turning redundancy from an engineering requirement into an acquisition strategy.

No nuclear microreactor currently supplies the American commercial grid. The Army nevertheless expects more than 20 to be built across military installations with additional private capital, beginning with at least one reactor operating by September 2028. Contractor ownership will let the service lead a national nuclear revival without having to own the part doing the reviving.

Army officials say the reactors could keep critical missions running when fuel deliveries or outside electricity are disrupted. Until then, the Janus Program will demonstrate energy resilience through a close partnership with the same utilities whose absence it is designed to survive.