The Department of the Air Force and the Defense Logistics Agency’s energy office plan to award California-based Oklo, Inc. a 30-year, firm fixed price contract for a microreactor, likely at Eielson AFB, Alaska.
The contract is contingent upon Oklo receiving a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
Oklo “would be required to site, develop, and operate a licensed microreactor facility at a DAF installation selected for site exploration,” the Air Force said on Wednesday. “Eielson Air Force Base, in Fairbanks, Alaska, is the DAF’s preferred location for the pilot, and the DAF and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) are preparing an environmental analysis for the project as a next step. This initiative marks a potentially groundbreaking advancement for U.S. energy security, pioneering the first deployment of a commercial microreactor for the Department of Defense.”
Billionaire Sam Altman, a co-founder of OpenAI and a venture capital backer of Oklo along with fellow billionaire Peter Thiel, stepped down as chairman of Oklo in April to allay conflict of interest concerns and ease any future collaboration between the company and OpenAI, which devised the ChatGPT chatbot.
The NRC is considering a re-application by Oklo to operate a 75 megawatt Aurora powerhouse reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory. In January 2022, the NRC denied Oklo’s application, and an official said at the time that the application had “significant information gaps in its description of Aurora’s potential accidents as well as its classification of safety systems and components.”
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in his department’s Wednesday statement that the “microreactor pilot could position Alaska and the nation at the forefront of energy innovation – leading us to a new era of safe, secure, and reliable energy.”
“It has the potential to shape future approaches to powering national security infrastructure, especially in the Arctic—where energy reliability is vital in the face of evolving threats,” he said.
Compact microreactors are to generate up to 50 megawatts of electricity.
“As Eielson Air Force Base focuses on lethality and warfighting, the Iceman team is proud to continue our pioneering legacy,” Air Force Col. Paul Townshend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing, said in the Air Force’s Wednesday statement. “We are striving to become the first Department of Defense installation to host on-site advanced nuclear energy technology. Operating in extreme Arctic conditions to protect the homeland and ensure readiness for our 5th generation F-35A force demands 24/7 resilient and reliable energy generation.”
Exchange Monitor affiliate Defense Daily first published this story.
