Air Force issues notice to partner with Oklo on microreactor deployment in Alaska

The Air Force has partnered with the Defense Logistics Agency to secure a 30-year, fixed-price contract with Oklo once the company secures a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

“This 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,” said Troy Meink, secretary of the Air Force. “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.”

A closer look: If the contract is awarded to Oklo, the company would complete plans for deploying and operating its microreactor technology at Eielson AFB, located near Fairbanks, Alaska. Microreactors produce 1–50 MW of electricity and can operate for years without refueling. Because the units do not require a connection to the commercial grid, they are deployable anywhere.

“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,” according to an Air Force news release.

The microreactor pilot program initiative is rooted in legislative and executive nuclear technology initiatives, including Section 327 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act and Executive Order 13972, issued in 2021, which promotes small modular reactors for national defense and space exploration.

Quotable: “To achieve peace through strength and uphold National Defense Strategy priorities, the Air Force must ensure our installations promote lethality and readiness. Strengthening mission resilience, reducing dependence on vulnerable energy sources, and fielding next-generation technologies is integral to our ability to defend the homeland and project power globally,” said Nancy Balkus, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for infrastructure, energy, and environment.

Michael Saunders, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy, installations, and environment, added, “Following an extensive evaluation, Oklo was selected for [its] innovation, commitment to safety, and ability to support the mission-critical needs of this installation.”

Background: Eielson AFB was identified in 2018 as the preferred location to demonstrate the benefits of microreactors to the Air Force—and by extension the Defense Department.

The Air Force and DLA announced in August 2023 their intent to award the contract to Oklo, but the next month, in response to a claim filed by a bidder (and according to a document sent by DLA Energy to Ultra Safe Nuclear and made public by a reporter for Northern Journal), DLA rescinded its decision to allow for “further consideration.”

A May 2024 newsletter from the Balkus’s office referenced a stop work order issued for the procurement at Eielson AFB, followed by the rescission of the notice of intent to award.

Now that the project has resumed momentum, military officials say Eielson could eventually host more than one microreactor to build on the pilot program.

For more information: For additional details on the air force’s microreactor pilot program or to learn more about microreactors, please visit https://www.eielson.af.mil/microreactor/.