Many public and private sectors are reducing their reliance on dirty energy sources like coal, oil, and natural gas, including the U.S. Army. The organization and the Department of Energy are developing and installing nuclear microreactors on bases throughout the country, Army secretary Dan Driscoll and energy secretary Christopher Wright announced in October.
The initiative, called the Janus Program, aims to "provide energy resilience for our soldiers," Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy, and environment, said. Through the program, the Army is joining forces with other government agencies and private entities to promote nuclear power.
While nuclear energy is not renewable energy, it produces about 960 fewer tons of carbon than coal per gigawatt-hour of electricity, according to Our World in Data. It is even more efficient than renewable resources like hydropower, wind, and solar. Nuclear power is also safer than most of these fuels, accounting for 0.03 deaths per terawatt-hour of electricity.
However, nuclear energy requires uranium mining, which poses environmental and health risks. Additionally, nuclear waste and accidents at power plants, while rare, can cause destruction. Plants themselves are also expensive to build and operate, but microreactors can solve some of these issues.
The small-sized reactors, like those the Janus Program will use, are more affordable to construct than entire power plants. They can also operate for 10 years or more without refueling, according to the Department of Energy, minimizing nuclear waste and the challenges that come with it.
The U.S. Military would be the 47th largest emitter of planet-warming pollution in the world if it were a nation state, one study found, but the Janus Program can change this trend. The Department of Energy will support the project by working with the Army to develop microreactor fuel, test prototype reactors, and provide regulatory reform.
According to Driscoll, the Army's willingness to "take risk on behalf of the American people" makes it prepared to undertake the Janus Program.
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