For the better part of the last decade, Fort Drum’s power was considered renewable. A biomass plant provided the installation all of its energy needs.

But in 2023, that plant closed down as New York state no longer considered biomass renewable.

It put Drum back on the grid, and the Army doesn’t want that.

What You Need To Know

  • SMR's are small modular reactors (SMRs) that aren't yet operational, but this mini-nuclear power plant could provide energy to military installations and get them off the grid

  • The Army Corps of Engineers recentlly named Fort Drum an "optimal" place for an SMR due to the weather (clouds make wind and solar more difficult)

  • While many believe this technology would likely be a safe and perhaps good option for the military, some question the lack of complete understanding of safety and cost due to the fact that none yet exist

“Unfortunately, you know, because of the security needs of Fort Drum, we do not want to be pulling off the grid,” Rep. Claudia Tenney said.

When it comes to energy usage, the U.S. Army says it's focused on two things: security and the environment.

It is now looking to replace fossil fuels and eliminate carbon emissions by getting off the electric grid.

The Army Corps of Engineers last year identified Fort Drum as an "optimal" place for nuclear power – not a giant facility, but rather one known as a small modular reactor (SMR), a mini plant.

“I think it's a great idea for the future. It provides emission-free power that we can keep safe and secure,” Tenney added.

One of the reasons the Army Corps selected Fort Drum is weather. If you live there, you know. It's cold, it's snowy and there is not a lot of sun.

“We live in a very cloudy region. So solar and wind are great, but they're not like nuclear power in terms of what energy experts call capacity factor — in terms of how often you can rely on these,” Syracuse University Professor Matt Huber said.

The support within the military community is there because of nuclear's effectiveness in any conditions.

In fact, Rep. Elise Stefanik says SMRs “would strengthen our national defense and bring high-paying jobs, long-term investment and energy independence to the base.”

“I think they're interested in any kind of small-scale power generation that can allow them to kind of go off grid and have reliable power,” Huber added.

So, I think SMR’s are a great candidate for that."

There is, however, one problem. SMRs right now are just a theory. There are some in development – different models and different types – but there are zero up and running in the U.S.

For information on safety, how they operate, you'd have to ask China or Russia, not exactly military allies.

“It's great to have your team be first in the Super Bowl. Being the first to build a new technology, a plant with a new technology, especially nuclear, is not a good idea,” nuclear power expert David Schlissel said.

However, considering the small-scale size of such a project, Fort Drum’s security needs, its infrastructure and its 30,000 people, Schlissel says the federal government is best suited to take on this kind of risk.

Unknowns that he believes are safety and especially, cost.

Companies in Idaho and Texas are presently working on the development and understanding of SMRs.