CHAMPAIGN, Ill.— A strong, resilient energy supply is critical for military installations, and researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are evaluating domestically produced nuclear energy systems to provide critical research in support of the Army’s Janus Program. In response to Executive Order 14299, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security, May 23, 2025, that is one of the drivers of the program, ERDC is drawing upon its expertise and resources to support the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in commencing the operation of a nuclear reactor at a domestic military base or installation by September 30, 2028. Leveraging advanced nuclear power could help to decrease U.S. dependencies on external energy sources.
The USACE Nuclear Power Program, a part of the larger Army nuclear program, successfully provided electric power to remote areas from 1954-1976. USACE transitioned to a stewardship role when the Army deactivated many of its reactors after 1979. The technology has now evolved to include small modular reactors, microreactors and both stationary and mobile nuclear energy systems. These innovations can potentially offer more reliable energy at more stable costs for extended periods of time on military installations.
Since 2019, ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) has conducted research and development on nuclear power generation, distribution and integration in support of the Department of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO). ERDC-CERL’s expertise and innovations in reactor constructability and passive protection have been vital contributors to the evolution of SCO’s Project Pele.
“ERDC has a wealth of expertise and capabilities that can be brought to bear to address many of the challenging aspects of planning for, constructing, integrating, operating, protecting, maintaining and eventually decommissioning reactors and associated infrastructure that will be used at both fixed installations and deployed locations,” said Frank Holcomb, a Senior Research Electrical Engineer at CERL who has been connected to this research since its genesis.
In 2024, the Defense Innovation Unit, along with the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force, established the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) program. The program enables the design and construction of on-site microreactor nuclear power systems on select military installations to support global operations across all military domains.
From 2023 and onward, ERDC has provided continuous support to the USACE Office of the Chief of Engineers (OCE) and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment (ASA(IE&E)) in the nuclear realm with such projects as Sustainable Microgrid with Advanced Reactor Technology and Reactor for Emerging Fuel and Electrification. These efforts look at the potential impact of micro-nuclear power at the installation, as well as the forward operational environment, where appropriate, to provide much-needed energy density for future military operations. ERDC-CERL is also exploring the attributes of Ultra High-Performance Composites to test concrete that is simultaneously high strength and radiation-absorbing.
With the renewed focus on the opportunities provided by nuclear power generation, the deep portfolio of ERDC-CERL research is currently focused on the integral elements of planning, safety and protection to meet the DoD’s broader nuclear energy aims.
ERDC past and future collaborations with OCE and ASA(IE&E) are critical to advancing research that leverages USACE and Army expertise needed for development and delivery of nuclear power capability. ERDC’s readiness posture for rapidly advancing this technology is further strengthened through partnerships with other government entities, industry and academia to further long-term advances in this domain.