AFTER STEADY DRUMBEAT OF ADVOCACY, SCHUMER DELIVERS FOR FORT DRUM, ANNOUNCES BASE HAS BEEN SELECTED BY ARMY FOR NEXT-GENERATION NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN ENERGY[...]

Fort Drum Will Be Home To Next-Generation Nuclear Microreactor To Protect Domestic Military Bases From Grid Failures, Critical Energy Deficiencies, And Other Threats

Earlier This Month, Schumer Urged The Army To Pick Fort Drum To Demonstrate Safe And Secure, On-Site Nuclear Power Generation

Schumer: Fort Drum Will Lead The Next Frontier In Nuclear Power!

After calling on U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to pick Fort Drum for a next-generation nuclear power program, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today announced the Army heeded his call and has selected Fort Drum to spearhead the Janus Program and the Army's nuclear energy innovation. Schumer explained that the Army will deploy a commercial nuclear microreactor to strengthen the installation's energy resilience and ability to support military operations on post. Ensuring military sites have secure, reliable power if the commercial power grid goes down is critical for the Army's readiness. Fort Drum is uniquely qualified to help the Army meet its nuclear energy goals due to its infrastructure, power projection capability, and the 10^th Mountain Division's mission requirements.

"As a steadfast supporter and fierce advocate of Fort Drum, I'm proud to announce that the Army heeded my call, selecting Fort Drum to spearhead the deployment of nuclear microreactor technology in the North Country. This is a major win that will strengthen the base's energy security, protect our Army from grid failures, and reduce strain on the local power grid," said Senator Schumer. "As one of our nation's most advanced and strategic military installations, the critical missions Fort Drum supports and executes to advance our national defense require safe and secure, as well as reliable and resilient, onsite power generation. That is why Fort Drum is perfectly poised to lead the next frontier in nuclear power, and I commend the Army for recognizing this and selecting Fort Drum."

The Department of the Army's Janus Program is an initiative to deploy commercially-owned and operated nuclear microreactors on certain domestic Army installations by 2030. Through the deployment of these microreactors, the program will help strengthen the Army's installation energy resilience, support evolving mission requirements, and advance the military's adoption of nuclear energy. Last year, the Army announced that nine military installations-including Fort Drum-were shortlisted for consideration to host a commercial nuclear microreactor under the Janus Program. This week, the Army announced that Fort Drum and four other installations were selected and paired with vendors for the first round of microreactor deployments under the Janus Program.

Schumer earlier this month, in a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, explained that Fort Drum-home to Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield and the 10^th Mountain Division, the most deployed conventional Army unit since 2001-is one of the most strategic military installations and power projection capabilities in the United States. A nuclear microreactor would provide Fort Drum with a reliable, independent, and continuous source of energy for mission-critical support functions, command and control elements, mobilization activities, and other vital capabilities, including during grid-level energy infrastructure outages. Schumer added that Fort Drum's location would allow the Army to assess a microreactor's performance under harsh weather and other conditions needed to inform its efforts to integrate energy solutions into future operations. Schumer also explained Fort Drum currently uses approximately 60 megawatts of power, most of which is pulled from the local grid.

Fort Drum is a vital economic and community anchor for the North Country, supporting thousands of military and civilian jobs. Fort Drum is well-equipped to demonstrate how nuclear power can reduce vulnerabilities and reinforce critical U.S. defense infrastructure. It is expected that the commercial microreactor would not require significant land use changes and would be designed to produce up to 20 megawatts (MW) of power to support installation operations. Fort Drum officials and the local community have conveyed support for the site's selection for the Janus Program.

Across decades of service as Fort Drum's leading champion in Congress, Schumer has fought tirelessly to elevate Fort Drum and the 10^th Mountain Division to US Department of Defense and Army leadership, and the Senator has proudly delivered billions of dollars in federal funding to enhance Fort Drum's capabilities and readiness, upgrade outdated infrastructure, add thousands of new personnel, and safeguard the future of the North Country's pillar of national defense and primary economic engine for generations to come.

Last year, after personally meeting with 10^th Mountain Division Commanding General Scott Naumann and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to push for critical upgrades to Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield, Schumer landed $18 million in federal funding as a downpayment on the long-overdue modernization of the airfield's lighting and electrical system, which currently uses components that date as far back as the 1950s and are far beyond the end of their useful life. The year prior, Schumer fought for and delivered $18.5 million in the Senate's Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the planning and design of a new aircraft maintenance hangar and an Operational Readiness Training Complex at Fort Drum. Schumer also secured nearly $10 million in the FY2023 end-of-year spending package for the planning and design of a new physical fitness testing facility field house, and to modernize one of the installation's key Access Control Points (ACP).

In 2022, after a series of personal appeals to former Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and announcing that Fort Drum was selected as a finalist, Schumer successfully secured one of the Army's prestigious Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) for Fort Drum. That same year, after personal calls to former Army Secretary Mark Esper and Army Chief of Staff James McConville, the Senator successfully secured over $27 million in federal funding to construct a new railhead at Fort Drum and replace the installation's existing water supply, which was vulnerable to multiple forms of contamination. Schumer was also proud to fight for and deliver more than $21 million for a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Hangar in 2020, $19 million in funding for a new non-commissioned officer (NCO) training academy in 2015, and many more exciting wins in support of Fort Drum, the 10^th Mountain Division, and the brave men and women who serve there.

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