Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado selected as preferred site of nuclear microreactor

The Department of the Air Force announced this week that Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado is one of two preferred locations for planned microreactors.

This is part of the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program, which the Air Force says will ensure it can complete critical missions without interruption.

"By advancing the use of next-generation nuclear energy, the DAF is strengthening the energy security of our power projection platforms and contributing to long-term national energy leadership," said Nancy Balkus, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Infrastructure, Energy and Environment. "This initiative represents a critical step in ensuring the department remains the world's premier Air Force and Space Force."

Microreactors are small nuclear reactors that can be transported by truck, shipping vessel, airplane or railcar. The Energy Department says there are a variety of designs, and microreactors can provide seamless integration with renewables within microgrids and can operate for up to 10 years without refueling.

In a news release, the Air Force said Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado and Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana were selected as the two "preferred locations" after data collection and on-site analysis by the DAF and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They determined these military installations as the best options based on their utility infrastructure, land availability and mission requirements.

A separate pilot program to assess the feasibility and benefits of a microreactor is underway at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Eilson's microreactor will be a first-of-its-kind technology, the base said, and will deliver up to 5 megawatts of electricity to the base's critical infrastructure once completed.

There has been a recent push to use small nuclear reactors to power bases, including an executive order by President Donald Trump last May requiring that an Army-regulated nuclear reactor be established on a domestic base by Sept. 2028.

The order asserts that the move is imperative to protecting national security, stating, "The United States faces a critical national security imperative to ensure a resilient, secure, and reliable energy supply for critical defense facilities designated under section 824o-1(c) of title 16, United States Code, and other mission capability resources.  Advanced computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and other mission capability resources at military and national security installations and national laboratories demands reliable, high-density power sources that cannot be disrupted by external threats or grid failures.  These facilities and resources' vulnerability to energy disruption represents a strategic risk that must be addressed."

The USAF said that the ANPI program will pair Buckley and Malmstrom with a vendor that fits each base's energy needs. Officials estimate that the microreactors will be completed by 2030.