Joint Base San Antonio will become the first military installation in Texas to host its own nuclear reactor.
The Pentagon announced Wednesday that it selected Antares Nuclear Inc. of Torrance, California, to build a prototype microreactor at JBSA as part of the Department of the Air Force’s Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations initiative.
The sodium heat pipe-cooled reactor, roughly the size of an F-250 pickup truck, can generate between 100 kilowatts and 1 megawatt of electricity — enough to power up to 1,000 homes — and run for years between refueling. It is fully transportable by trailer, train or airplane and does not require connection to the statewide power grid.
The project aims to deliver resilient, uninterrupted power for critical national security missions, shielding them from grid failures, severe weather or external threats.
Several sites across JBSA, including areas near JBSA-Lackland, remain under consideration, though no final location has been chosen. Antares expects the unit could be operational by 2028, potentially marking the first new nuclear reactor built in Texas in 33 years.
This marks the third site selected in the Air Force program. Officials say the microreactor will support microgrids and could pave the way for broader commercial nuclear opportunities in the San Antonio region if the prototype succeeds.
The project aims to deliver resilient, uninterrupted power for critical national security missions
The project aims to deliver resilient, uninterrupted power for critical national security missions
