Fairbanks learns about microreactor planned for Eielson
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) — As plans continue to be made for a nuclear microreactor that will power Eielson Air Force Base — and the Fairbanks community at large later on — military officials, scientists and others held a town hall at 8-Star Events Center in Fairbanks to describe the project and the technology behind it, and to take questions from the community.
A crowd of nearly 100 people filled a meeting room at the venue, including Alaskan political and business leaders, with audience questions ranging from the safety of the technology to how much the project will cost taxpayers.
The microreactor is planned to be developed and operated by Oklo, Inc., and according to Nancy Balkus, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Infrastructure, Energy and Environment, the cost to taxpayers will only come when the system is in operation, after a 30-year agreement between the Department of Defense and the reactor’s owner will kick in.
“The Department of Defense is not using taxpayer dollars to buy a microreactor,” Balkus said. “The Department of Defense is going to pay a utility bill for the power that is produced as a result of a private sector-constructed, operated, owned, operated, and maintained microreactor.
“So we won’t know what that rate is going to be until we get to that phase of the project.”
The reactor is expected to be able to provide up to five megawatts of power and will be used to generate electricity and heat only for Eielson at first, with the potential for expansion into the surrounding community later on.
Speaking at the town hall, Col. Matthew Johnston, Commander of the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base, expressed enthusiasm for the possibilities of the project.
“On a military base that we’re going to execute any type of operations from, we’re really looking for any type of resiliency that we can get,” he said, adding that a microreactor could pick up the slack if the base’s Central Heating and Power Plant needs to be geared down for maintenance.
Officials could not give a specific timeline for when the microreactor would be built, with Balkus saying officials are currently looking for a specific spot on Eielson for the microreactor before licensing can begin.
She estimated that in six to eight months, more timeline information would be available to the public.
In May, the Department of the Air Force issued a Notice of Intent to Award the contract for the facility to Oklo.
Currently, the contract has not yet been awarded.
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