WASHINGTON (WOWO) — The U.S. Army is moving ahead with plans to install nuclear microreactors at five military installations as part of a multibillion-dollar effort to provide more reliable power to bases and reduce dependence on potentially vulnerable civilian electric grids.

The Army announced Wednesday that its Janus Program has selected five nuclear energy companies for awards totaling up to $2.2 billion to own, build and operate microreactors at military installations in North Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, Georgia and New York.

The initial sites are Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, Fort Hood, Fort Benning and Fort Drum, with the Army targeting September 2028 for the first Army-regulated nuclear reactor to begin operating at a military installation.

The initiative is part of a broader push to strengthen the military’s energy resilience and ensure installations can continue operating even if outside power supplies are disrupted.

Under the plan, Antares Nuclear will build a reactor at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, BWXT Advanced Technologies will handle a reactor at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, and General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems will build one at Fort Hood in Texas.

Radiant Industries was selected for Fort Benning in Georgia, while Westinghouse Government Services was selected to install a reactor at Fort Drum in New York.

The Army said the five projects are intended to provide reliable, round-the-clock power rather than serve simply as short-term demonstrations.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the effort is focused on making sure military installations have the electricity needed to support operations.

“Since launching the Janus Program, our mandate from President Trump and Secretary Hegseth has been clear: secure the power our warfighters need to train, deploy, and win,” Driscoll said.

“Awarding these contracts accelerates our ability to deliver safe, reliable baseload power directly to our installations,” Driscoll added. “We are building the energy resilience necessary to project combat power globally, without relying on potentially vulnerable external grids.”

The Army expects the initial projects to receive government funding between fiscal years 2027 and 2031.

The money will be distributed through a milestone-based payment system, meaning the companies will receive government funds after meeting specific technical objectives.

The companies are also expected to contribute substantial amounts of their own private capital to the projects.

Army officials spent about a year evaluating potential locations before selecting the five initial installations.

The review considered factors including each installation’s energy requirements, seismic conditions, hydrology and safety considerations.

The Army says the five reactors represent the first phase of a much larger effort.

When private-sector investment is included, officials expect more than 20 nuclear microreactors could eventually be constructed and operated across Department of War installations.

Additional military locations are expected to be announced as the program moves forward.

Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, said the objective is to demonstrate that microreactors can operate reliably for extended periods and eventually become commercially viable beyond military applications.

“We are seeking not just reactors capable of turning on for a brief demonstration, but rather systems able to deliver power with high-capacity factors for years of operation,” Waksman said.

Waksman said the ultimate goal is for participating nuclear companies to develop systems that can attract customers outside the military.

“The Janus Program will be a complete success when and only when we have assisted multiple nuclear companies in developing truly reliable and affordable nuclear microreactors which they can sell to other buyers beyond just the military,” he said.

The Army’s effort comes as military officials increasingly focus on the vulnerability and reliability of the nation’s electric infrastructure.

Large military installations can require substantial amounts of electricity for training, communications, housing, maintenance, weapons systems and other operations.

A disruption to the civilian grid can therefore affect a wide range of activities at a military installation.

Microreactors are designed to provide a smaller-scale nuclear power source that can operate independently of traditional electricity infrastructure.

The Army argues that having dedicated nuclear generation on military property could provide a steady source of baseload electricity while reducing reliance on external power systems.

Owen West, director of the Department of War Innovation Unit, said speed and reliability are central to the effort.

“We need more power. We need it delivered faster and cheaper, and we need it to be more reliable,” West said.

“With Janus, DIU is assisting the Army’s micro reactor build – speeding military energy production to protect the nation.”

The Janus Program also reflects the Army’s effort to accelerate development of emerging nuclear technologies by providing companies with an initial military market while requiring them to demonstrate that their systems can meet technical and operational requirements.

Rather than simply funding research, the Army says it wants the selected companies to produce operating reactors capable of supplying electricity for years.

The initiative is being pursued under a September 2028 deadline established by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump calling for the first Army-regulated reactor to be operational on a military installation by that time.

The five selected installations span several regions of the country, giving the Army an opportunity to evaluate the technology under different geographic and operating conditions.

Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia and Fort Drum in New York will serve as the initial locations.

The Army has not indicated that those five sites will be the only military installations to receive microreactors.

Officials expect the program to expand, with additional Army and other military service locations potentially participating.

The broader goal is to create a network of reliable energy sources that can help military installations remain operational during disruptions while also advancing nuclear technology that could eventually be used by other government and private-sector customers.

For the Army, officials say the success of Janus ultimately will be measured not simply by whether a reactor can be built, but whether it can reliably produce affordable electricity over an extended period.

That makes the five initial projects an important test of whether nuclear microreactors can move from an emerging technology to a practical source of long-term power for the U.S. military.