Army Leases Power Projects to Ameresco, Frontier, Indelible-Bloom
The US Army has conditionally awarded long-term leases to three firms for power generation at Mid-Atlantic bases, including nuclear and battery storage options.
Key points
- Army conditionally awarded leases to Indelible-Bloom, Frontier Power USA, and Ameresco for power generation at six Mid-Atlantic bases.
- Ameresco plans to deploy nuclear microreactors and small modular reactors at Picatinny and an Integral Molten Salt Reactor at Aberdeen.
- Terrestrial Energy’s 390-MWe reactor design is in the first step of DOE authorization and preapplication with the NRC.
The United States Army has conditionally awarded long-term leases to Indelible-Bloom, Frontier Power USA, and Ameresco to design, finance, build, and operate commercial power generation across several Mid-Atlantic installations. These contracts are issued through the Strategic Capital Initiatives program, which facilitates collaboration between the military and private industry for infrastructure projects.
The deployments cover sites including Fort Detrick, Letterkenny Army Depot, West Point, Tobyhanna Army Depot, Aberdeen Proving Ground, and Picatinny Arsenal. While the Army states the projects will include a mix of battery energy storage, natural gas, and nuclear electric generation, the specific technologies vary by vendor and location.
Vendor assignments span multiple sites
Indelible-Bloom, a partnership between Indelible and Bloom Energy, is responsible for fuel cell generation at Fort Detrick in Maryland, Letterkenny Army Depot in Pennsylvania, and West Point in New York. Ameresco, an energy infrastructure company, has secured contracts for Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland and Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, utilizing natural gas and other generation technologies.
Frontier Power USA, a developer of long-duration energy storage and independent power production, is contracted to deploy at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania. CEO Jay Bellows indicated the project will combine battery storage with power generation, though the specific generation technology has not been detailed by the company.
Nuclear components integrate with gas
Ameresco announced that its projects in Maryland and New Jersey may include both natural gas and nuclear generation. At Picatinny, the company intends to deploy modular microreactor and small modular reactor technologies, with vendor selections pending based on commercial, technical, regulatory, and siting requirements. The American Nuclear Society notes these contracts are distinct from the Army’s ongoing Janus program.
At Aberdeen Proving Ground, Ameresco plans to deploy natural gas generation first, followed by collaboration with Terrestrial Energy to install its Integral Molten Salt Reactor. This 390-MWe reactor design uses low-enriched uranium and is already part of the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program, where Terrestrial is working to deploy a unit at Texas A&M University.
Regulatory path remains in progress
Terrestrial Energy signed an other transaction agreement with the Department of Energy in January, marking the first step in a five-step authorization process for reactor startup. The company has not publicly announced progress on subsequent milestones. Regarding the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Terrestrial is currently progressing through preapplication activities and received a safety evaluation approving its principal design criteria last year.
In addition to reactor deployment, Terrestrial Energy is planning a fuel facility on the Texas A&M campus, having been selected for the DOE’s Fuel Line Pilot Program. The Army’s new leases represent a continued expansion of federal-industry collaboration on nuclear power, adding to existing initiatives like the DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program and other advanced manufacturing projects.
