The U.S. Department of Defense [DOD] has selected Virginia-based BWX Technologies to construct the nation’s first advanced nuclear microreactor, the company said in a Thursday statement. DOD consumes about 30 TWh of electricity annually, and expects that demand to rise as it electrifies non-tactical vehicles. “A safe, small, transportable nuclear reactor would address this growing demand with a resilient, carbon-free energy source,” DOD said in April when it indicated the government would move ahead with Project Pele.