Subcommittee examines energy resilience, small modular reactors and installation hardening
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Summary
Lawmakers and DOD witnesses discussed installation energy costs, the department’s pursuit of energy resilience measures including small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors, and localized projects such as microreactor work at Eielson Air Force Base and resiliency efforts in Guam.
Members of the House Readiness Subcommittee questioned DOD and service witnesses about energy resilience, installation hardening and the department’s interest in small modular reactors and other on‑site generation technologies.
The lead takeaway: Witnesses described an “all‑of‑the‑above” energy approach to ensure installations can operate during grid disruptions and contested operations and said DOD is actively evaluating small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors for mission‑critical installations.
Mr. Thompson, speaking for the Office of the Secretary of Defense Energy, Installations and Environment portfolio, said the department is assessing its real estate for SMR suitability and will produce an initial “site picture” of candidate locations within weeks. He said SMRs could provide base load power, support high‑demand assets like data centers, and supply excess power to neighboring communities.
Air Force witness Mr. Saunders described the Air Force’s first microreactor effort at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska and said the service is pursuing microreactor technologies as a resilience tool, particularly for remote or isolated installations. Mr. Saunders also noted the Department of the Air Force carries about 20% excess facilities and 60% excess airfield pavements, which creates sustainment pressure and motivates demolition and optimization efforts.
Congressional members asked about deployment challenges, siting priorities and regulatory hurdles. Mr. Thompson said the department is aligning technical site‑selection parameters, fuel and waste questions and commercial industry scale to determine which locations are feasible SMR candidates. Service witnesses volunteered to provide more detailed, installation‑level plans for the record.
Ending: Members emphasized energy resilience as a readiness priority and requested written follow‑up on candidate sites, timelines, permitting and community engagement for any proposed SMR or microreactor projects.