$2.2 billion in milestone-based awards target grid-independent power
The U.S. Army announced Wednesday it plans to add nuclear microreactors at five military bases from New York to Texas, awarding contracts intended to give the installations a reliable source of energy independent of the commercial electric grid.
Under the program, five companies selected by the Army will be eligible to receive up to $2.2 billion in total over five years to own, construct and operate the microreactors, provided they hit performance milestones set by the service along the way. The Army said it expects more than 20 nuclear microreactors will ultimately be built and operated under the effort.
The announcement is part of a broader Trump administration push to develop the next generation of nuclear power. That effort includes billions of dollars in loans for large nuclear reactors, aimed at meeting reported growing power demand from data centers.
The administration has also stood up a pilot program intended to accelerate advanced reactor designs and projects aimed at both military and civilian use.
No nuclear microreactors are supplying power to the U.S. commercial electric grid today.