Washington (Platts)--3Mar2008

The US Air Force is considering building a power reactor at one or more
of its bases, said Kevin Billings, assistant secretary of the Air Force for
energy, environment, safety and occupational health. At a March 3 energy forum
in Arlington, Virginia sponsored by the Air Force, he said that the reactor
would be privately owned and operated. Billings also said that Senator Larry
Craig, an Idaho Republican, sent a letter to the Air Force last year asking
whether it would be interested in building a nuclear power plant. Later,
Republican Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico also sent a letter with a
similar inquiry, Billings said. The Air Force would be a "predictable and
welcoming host" for a reactor and could offer a long-term power purchase
agreement, Billings said.