The U.S. Army has conditionally selected three private developers to negotiate long-term leases for commercial power generation at six installations. Announced September 18 under the Army's Strategic Capital Initiatives, the selections could bring battery storage, natural gas and nuclear generation onto Army land.
Ameresco, a Massachusetts-based energy infrastructure company, was selected for Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland and Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. Ameresco told POWER it proposes natural gas generation at Aberdeen followed by a potential advanced nuclear phase using the Terrestrial Energy Integral Molten Salt Reactor. At Picatinny, it proposes microreactors followed by a small modular reactor. Natural gas will come first at Aberdeen to meet the installation's pre-2030 operating goal.
Indelible-Bloom, a partnership between consulting firm Indelible and fuel cell maker Bloom Energy, was selected for Fort Detrick, Letterkenny Army Depot and West Point. Frontier Power USA, a long-duration energy storage developer, was selected for Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania, where it plans to pair battery storage with power generation.
The projects fall under the Army's Enhanced Use Lease authority, which lets the service lease idle land to private partners while retaining title. Developers would finance, design, build, operate, secure and decommission the facilities and pay rent at or above fair market value, preferably through in-kind infrastructure improvements. The Army requires a decommissioning bond on each lease.
Formal lease agreements remain in early stages. Development could begin as early as 2027, with initial operating capability targeted by or before 2030. The plants would supply capacity to the grid and provide on-site power to host installations during utility outages.
Source: POWER Magazine - https://www.powermag.com/army-selects-three-developers-for-commercial-power-projects-at-six-installations/