SCHUMER URGES ARMY TO SELECT FORT DRUM FOR NEXT-GENERATION NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN ENERGY RESILIENCE AT DOMESTIC MILITARY INSTALLATIONS

Last Year, Fort Drum Was Among Nine Sites Shortlisted For Army's Next-Generation Nuclear Microreactor Program To Protect Domestic Military Bases From Grid Failures, Critical Energy Deficiencies, And Other Threats

Fort Drum's Strategic Mission Sets, Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield, Skilled Personnel, And Existing Infrastructure Make It The Best-In-Class To Demonstrate Safe And Secure, On-Site Nuclear Power Generation

Schumer To Army: Fort Drum Needs Reliable Power To Protect National Security

After the U.S. Army named Fort Drum as one of nine domestic Army installations under consideration to host the Janus Program, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today urged U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll to select Fort Drum for the Army's effort to deploy a commercial nuclear microreactor to strengthen the installation's energy resilience and support critical military operations. Schumer explained that the effort is to ensure military sites have secure, reliable power if the commercial power grid goes down and that after analyzing sites across the United States, including energy requirements and power infrastructure, that the Army shortlisted Fort Drum.

"Fort Drum's facilities, personnel, and infrastructure make it uniquely positioned to spearhead the Army's Janus Program and demonstrate this important, innovative nuclear microreactor technology. Fort Drum is top-of-class to lead in advanced nuclear development. Bringing a safe and secure nuclear energy source to Fort Drum is a win-win for strengthening the base's energy security and protecting our Army from vulnerabilities like grid failures," said Senator Schumer. "As one of the most advanced and strategic military installations in the country, Fort Drum is ready, and the critical missions it carries out to protect our nation demand reliable, resilient, and independent onsite power generation."

The Department of the Army's Janus Program is an initiative to deploy commercial nuclear microreactors on domestic military installations. The program will help strengthen the Army's installation energy resilience, support future mission requirements, and advance next-generation nuclear energy. The program aims to have a working prototype operating on a domestic Army base by the end of 2028. 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.

Schumer explained that Fort Drum, home to Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield, which serves as the primary mobilization airfield for the 10^th Mountain Division, is one of the most strategic military installations 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 and the disruption of key power supplies. 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 over 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. Schumer underscored that 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.

Schumer's letter to U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll can be found HERE or below:

Dear Secretary Driscoll:

Late last year, the U.S. Army announced a list of nine domestic military installations-including Fort Drum, New York-to be considered for the deployment of a commercial nuclear microreactor under the Army's Janus Program. The Janus Program is a critical opportunity to strengthen the Total Army's installation energy resilience through the deployment of next-generation nuclear energy and support future mission requirements consistent with the goals of the National Defense Strategy. I write to encourage you to select Fort Drum, given the installation's distinct combination of operational need, personnel, and existing infrastructure that make it an optimal site to spearhead the Janus Program.

Fort Drum is one of the most advanced and strategic military installations in the United States. Fort Drum has the facilities, personnel, and infrastructure needed to be the best-in-class site to field a nuclear microreactor. The garrison is home to Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield, which serves as the primary mobilization airfield for the 10th Mountain Division and is a strategic asset and power projection capability for the Joint Force. Moreover, Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division's operational tempo and strategic importance make the installation the ideal candidate to demonstrate the need for secure, onsite power generation to support military installations and critical mission sets.

As the Army continues to prepare for large-scale combat operations (LSCO) and conflicts in increasingly contested environments, where adversaries will target critical infrastructure, including the potential disruption of highly interconnected key power supplies and grid-level energy infrastructure, military installations must be capable of executing their mission even during prolonged outages and disruptions to the local grid. A nuclear microreactor would provide Fort Drum with a reliable, non-carbon polluting, independent, and continuous source of energy for mission-critical support functions, command and control elements, mobilization activities, and other vital capabilities during contingency operations. It would also allow the Army to validate the operational benefits of advanced nuclear energy while strengthening the resilience of one of its premier power projection platforms.

Furthermore, serving as the home to the 10th Mountain Division-the most deployed conventional Army unit since 2001-Fort Drum has long been a leader in developing, testing, and proving the Army's cold-weather and expeditionary capabilities, including hosting large-scale training exercises for multi-domain operations in harsh climate and austere environments that simulate conditions warfighters may encounter downrange. Fort Drum's permissive training environment would allow the Army to assess a microreactor's performance under realistic operational conditions, enhance the installation's energy resilience by reducing grid dependency vulnerabilities and interdependencies, and strengthen the Army's ability to maintain a high readiness posture, including by informing its efforts to integrate resilient energy solutions into future operations.

For these reasons, I urge you to select Fort Drum to host a nuclear microreactor as part of the Army's Janus Program. I appreciate the careful consideration you will give Fort Drum's candidacy during the site selection process, and I am confident you will find that Fort Drum has the personnel, infrastructure, resources, and capacity consistent with the Army's basing criteria under the Janus Program.

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