Military microreactor push enters vital phase
CONTINUED from PAGE 37
in the North Pole area. It also creates additional demand for roads, utilities, schools and emergency services. For local governments, the military represents both an economic oppor- tunity and a planning consideration. The same relationship extends to education. The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District operates doz - ens of public schools serving roughly 11,200 to 11,900 students, and military families constitute an important com- ponent of the area’s school population. A major source of employment The military’s economic influence is particularly evident in the region’s employment structure. The Alaska Department of Labor reported in January that approxi - mately 70% of Fairbanks North Star Borough federal civilian employment is in the Department of Defense,
military investment: its effects do not stop at installation boundaries. New military personnel require homes. Their families use schools, health-care providers, restaurants, retail stores and other services. Con- tractors require office space, equip - ment and transportation. Construc- tion projects require workers and materials. Local governments must plan for roads, utilities, emergency services and other infrastructure. In that sense, a military expansion becomes a regional development event. The borough’s plan specifically identifies increased housing demand and population growth in North Pole and rural areas between North Pole and Eielson as direct results of the military expansion. That has implications for communities outside the installations themselves. Military growth can al - ter land-use patterns and develop- ment pressures, particularly along the Richardson Highway corridor and
67,000 square miles of airspace. The scale is significant. The Fair - banks region effectively contains an enormous military training landscape on both the ground and in the air, making the area a national asset for preparing forces to operate in extreme northern conditions. The military footprint around Fair - banks expanded significantly with the arrival of two squadrons of F-35A Lightning II fighters at Eielson begin - ning in 2020. According to the borough, the F-35 beddown brought an esti - mated 3,000 to 3,300 additional mili - tary personnel, contractors and family members to the region. Many settled in North Pole and the rural commu - nities between North Pole and Eielson, contributing to increased housing de- mand and population growth. The population impact demon- strates an important characteristic of
of microreactors. In November 2025, the Army identified nine installations for possible initial deployment. Fort Wainwright was the only Alaska in - stallation on that list, alongside Fort Benning, Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, Fort Drum, Fort Hood, Holston Army Ammunition Plant, Joint Base Lew - is-McChord and Redstone Arsenal. But the first five projects an - nounced Aug. 26 went elsewhere. The Army selected Fort Bragg, Fort Camp - bell, Fort Hood, Fort Benning and Fort Drum and paired them with five com - mercial reactor developers. The service awarded agreements totaling as much as $2.2 billion for companies to own, construct and operate the reactors. The Army previously said the number and locations of Janus reac- tors could expand based on technical feasibility, site suitability and avail- able resources. That possibility is one reason Interior officials are seeking continued dialogue. The Aug. 26 letter brought togeth- er local government, the Interior con- gressional delegation, business orga- nizations, utilities and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Interior leaders pointed to benefits involving energy resilience, winter air quality, workforce development and technology research. UAF’s Alaska Center for Energy and Power also sees the military projects as an opportu - nity to develop research capabilities around advanced nuclear technology. “We’re interested in keeping the conversation flowing around Project Janus because it provides an opportu- nity to understand the research needs associated with advanced nuclear en - ergy,” said ACEP Chief Scientist Gwen Holdmann.
Hopkins said. The Air Force selected Eielson in 2021 to pilot its first microreactor, cit - ing the base’s location, existing infra - structure and critical national-security mission. The proposed system would provide up to 5 megawatts of electricity directly to critical base infrastructure, along with thermal energy. The concept is designed around en- ergy resilience rather than replacing the base’s entire power system. A micro - reactor could provide electricity when the commercial grid is unavailable and reduce reliance on conventional fuel supplies. That has particular signifi - cance at Eielson, where extreme winter conditions and the strategic importance of its F-35 mission make dependable power a military-readiness issue. The project reached a milestone last summer when the Air Force, working with the Defense Logistics Agency Energy Office, issued a No - tice of Intent to Award to Oklo Inc. The proposed arrangement calls for a third-party company to build, own, operate, maintain and eventually de- commission the reactor under a long- term power-purchase agreement. But the project is not yet a com - pleted contract or an operating reactor. The Air Force says the notice began ne - gotiations and that the project remains contingent on completion of the Nu- clear Regulatory Commission licensing process. The Air Force and NRC are also preparing the environmental analysis required for the project. The Air Force held another public town hall in late August in Fairbanks to provide an update and answer community questions, underscoring that public engagement will remain part of the process. The Army’s Project Janus represents a much larger potential deployment
Eielson on track for an advanced nuclear pilot Alaska is again becoming a proving ground for military nuclear power. More than 50 years after the Army shut down the SM-1A reactor at Fort Greely, the state is at the center of a new generation of military nuclear technol- ogy. Two projects — one at Eielson Air Force Base and another considered for Fort Wainwright — have put advanced microreactors on Alaska’s energy and national-security agenda. The immediate outlook, however, is different for the two Interior installa - tions. The Department of the Air Force continues to pursue a microreactor at Eielson, where it has identified the Fairbanks-area base as the preferred site for its first military microreac - tor. Meanwhile, Fort Wainwright was among nine Army installations initial- ly considered under Project Janus but was not among the five sites selected for the program’s first round of reactor deployments announced Aug. 26. That distinction has not ended In- terior Alaska’s interest. In late August, Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Grier Hopkins and a broad coalition of Interior lead- ers urged the Army to continue en- gaging with the region over Project Janus and the potential role advanced nuclear energy could play at Fort Wainwright and beyond. “Project Janus gives us an oppor - tunity to have a serious conversation about what advanced nuclear energy could mean for Fort Wainwright, our military families and the long-term energy security of our entire region,”
CONTINUED on PAGE 40
— Fireweed Strategies
39
38
THE LINK: The Official Magazine of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance | FALL 2026
www.AlaskaAlliance.com
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker