Owen Swallow, writing for the Sentinel, reports that federal, state, local, and military leaders met at Buckley Space Force Base for the fourth annual “Future of Buckley” review, where the big-ticket items were power, wildfire readiness, military housing, health care, and Buckley’s growing role in national security.
The flashiest piece is the plan to install a “micro” nuclear power generator at Buckley, part of the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program. Rep. Jason Crow said Buckley has been named a preferred site for a small modular nuclear micro-reactor, with a preliminary timeline pointing to possible operation in 2028.
Also in the room were Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, and base leaders. Translation: enough elected officials to form a committee, hold a press conference, and maybe accidentally make one good decision.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Buckley Space Force Base is being considered for a truck-trailer-sized nuclear micro-reactor, developed and operated by Radiant Industries out of California. Small reactor, big implications. Finally, a “micro” project from government that might actually produce something besides paperwork.
- Crow said Buckley is one of the most power-hungry bases in the U.S. military, which makes on-site nuclear power a serious mission issue. Space surveillance, missile warning, intelligence work, and communications do not run on good intentions and recycled campaign mailers.
- The argument for Colorado ratepayers is pretty simple: if Buckley can generate some of its own power, it pulls less from the civilian grid. That could help ease pressure on electric costs. Imagine that, reliable energy helping real people. Someone alert the climate theater department.
- Leaders also discussed wildfire readiness after one of Colorado’s driest and warmest winters on record. The Colorado National Guard’s ability to respond could matter a lot this season, because fire does not care how many agencies had a stakeholder meeting.
- Bennet and Hickenlooper emphasized Buckley’s national defense value, including Space Force missions, intelligence operations, National Guard operations, and the need for modern aircraft. Buckley supports thousands of military personnel, civilians, contractors, Guard members, and reservists, while contributing about $2.4 billion to the local economy. Not exactly a lemonade stand.
My Bottom Line
I don’t know, but I’ve been told, nuclear power is mighty bold. And in this case, bold beats brittle. If Buckley’s mission is critical to missile warning, space surveillance, communications, and national defense, then powering it with a stressed civilian grid and crossed fingers is not a strategy. It is a shrug wearing a lanyard.
Micro-nuclear at a military installation makes sense if it is done safely, transparently, and with real oversight. Not fake oversight. Not “we sent a staffer and got a brochure” oversight. Real questions, real answers, real accountability. Nuclear power is not a toy. But neither is national security.
The funny part is watching people who demand electrification of everything suddenly get weird when the conversation turns to producing the actual electricity. You cannot run bases, homes, cars, hospitals, data centers, and every appliance in America on vibes, subsidies, and a wind turbine named Compassion.
Buckley matters. Colorado matters. The grid matters. Wildfire readiness matters. If this reactor relieves pressure on ratepayers, strengthens the mission, and keeps the lights on when it counts, then bring on the serious adults and keep the political peacocks outside the fence.
Source: Owen Swallow, For the Sentinel
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