Mini-nuke plants eyed for Air Force bases

Mini-nuke plants eyed for Air Force bases
By Patrick Winn - Staff Writer
Posted : Wednesday Jan 30, 2008 5:34:40 EST

An upcoming Air Force energy summit will explore powering bases with on-site miniature nuclear power plants.

The potential power sources — expected to be roughly one-tenth the size of conventional nuclear reactors — could potentially power an entire Air Force base. Research into these energy sources, prodded by U.S. Congress, is in its infancy.

On March 3 in Arlington, Va., the Air Force will hold an energy forum focused on initiating future projects to reduce the service’s reliance on foreign oil. Much of the one-day summit will be devoted to looking at these on-base nuclear energy sources.

Speakers include both Kevin Billings and William Anderson, the respective deputy assistant secretary and the assistant secretary of the Air Force’s office of Environment, Safety and Occupational Health.

The forum will also focus on environmentally friendly fuels, reducing energy consumption on bases and research into biofuels and fuel cells.


Article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/01/airforce_nuclear_plants_080129/

With all of the oil, lead (by the tons!), and other poisons the Air Force intentionally deposits in the ground on their bases, a little urainium couldn't hurt. The last time I was on one of their bases I saw about 40 guys putting lead into the ground with machine guns as fast as they could. They were shooting into dirt.

http://update.ssi.org/?p=19

<snip>

Recently the National Security Space Office of the Department of Defense, NSSO, under the leadership of General James Armor, began a serious study of Satellite Solar Power. The NSSO began the effort because the armed forces need to supply forward bases with electrical power and satellite solar power appeared likely to be economically competitive with the present cost of electricity at bases in Iraq. The NSSO is very interested in long term energy security for the United States and its allies. It would like to develop satellite solar power to prevent future wars over energy resources. No entity in the federal government has been charged with power satellite development and, excepting the NSSO, none has made any effort to promote it. The NSSO office would like to transfer responsibility for powersat development and construction to the private sector as soon as possible. They see the possibility that critical technologies will be classified secret and so become unusable for civilian purposes.

<snip>