Ameresco Selected for U.S. Army Strategic Capital Initiatives to Advance Energy Resilience at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Picatinny Arsenal
Ameresco Selected for U.S. Army Strategic Capital Initiatives to Advance Energy Resilience at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Picatinny Arsenal
Ameresco will negotiate exclusive long-term leases for advanced power projects at two Army installations, with build-out contingent on future approvals.
Competitive selections under the Army’s Enhanced Use Lease authority would support commercial nuclear power generation projects designed to enhance Army mission readiness and installation energy resilience
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE: AMRC), a leading energy infrastructure company delivering integrated solutions to create reliable power and modernize infrastructure, today announced that the U.S. Army under its Strategic Capital Initiatives has competitively selected Ameresco to enter into exclusive negotiation of long-term leases supporting commercial power generation projects at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland and Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.
Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey (top), and Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland (bottom), are among the U.S. Army installations selected for potential commercial power generation projects aimed at strengthening energy resilience and mission readiness. Ameresco has been selected to enter into exclusive negotiations for long-term leases at both sites.
The Army made the selections under its Enhanced Use Lease authority, 10 U.S.C. § 2667, through its Strategic Capital Initiatives, which are designed to engage private-sector partners in accelerating enterprise-wide modernization. The projects to be developed on the leased land are expected to provide market-based capacity to each state’s grid while supporting the host installations’ missions during utility outages. Ameresco will negotiate each lease with the Army, however, development is beginning immediately.
For the Picatinny project, Ameresco intends to deploy both modular microreactor (Phase I) and small modular reactor (Phase II) technologies determined based on the project’s commercial, technical, regulatory, and siting requirements. Ameresco is collaborating with Terrestrial Energy to develop and deploy an integrated molten salt reactor (IMSR) as the nuclear solution best suited to the Phase 2 site at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Key Details:
Award structure: Ameresco has been selected to negotiate long-term leases under the U.S. Army’s Enhanced Use Lease authority.
Project locations:Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland and Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.
Project scope: Proposed phased power generation campuses, potentially including firm natural gas and advanced nuclear generation at Aberdeen Proving Ground, and microreactor and small modular reactor technologies at Picatinny Arsenal, subject to final agreements and required approvals.
Project purpose: Commercial power generation intended to add market-based grid capacity while supporting resilient on-site capabilities for Army installations during qualifying grid outages.
“Ameresco is honored to be among the companies selected to support the U.S. Army’s Strategic Capital Initiatives and advance energy resilience across critical military installations,” said Nicole Bulgarino, Co-President of Ameresco. “At Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland and Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, we look forward to deploying resilient, on-site energy infrastructure that strengthens mission readiness and enhances energy security. These projects represent a significant opportunity to advance both traditional firm power generation technologies and innovative nuclear solutions, helping establish a new generation of resilient, secure energy infrastructure for defense applications.”
Under the Enhanced Use Lease structure, the United States retains title to the leased property, while private-sector partners are responsible for financing, designing, building, operating, securing, and decommissioning the facilities.No construction will begin until applicable environmental and regulatory reviews are complete, including review under the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air and Water Acts, and other required federal, state, and local permitting processes, and Ameresco’s work will be developed in alignment with those requirements.
The selection underscores Ameresco’s experience delivering integrated power infrastructure solutions in complex public-sector environments. As demand for reliable power grows nationwide, public-private partnerships can accelerate modernization of critical energy systems.
To learn more about Ameresco’s power infrastructure and energy resilience solutions, visit www.ameresco.com.
About Ameresco, Inc.
Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE: AMRC) is a leading energy infrastructure company delivering integrated solutions to create reliable power and modernize infrastructure. The company’s Power Infrastructure business integrates energy resources across behind-the-meter and utility-scale systems. Its Buildings & Public Infrastructure business modernizes the built environment with smart, connected solutions that optimize performance and enhance resilience. Ameresco is a trusted full lifecycle partner, delivering over $15 billion in solutions and contracting over 5 GW of energy resources since its founding in 2000. Headquartered in Massachusetts, Ameresco serves public and private sector customers across North America and Europe. Learn more at www.ameresco.com.
The announcement of a development-stage energy infrastructure opportunity by Ameresco is not necessarily indicative of the timing or amount of revenue that may be recognized from such opportunity, Ameresco’s overall revenue for any particular period, or trends in Ameresco’s overall total project backlog. These projects were not included in Ameresco’s previously reported backlog as of June 30, 2026.
Media Contact:
Ameresco: Leila Dillon, 508-661-2264, news@ameresco.com
Source: Ameresco, Inc.
Key Terms
enhanced use leaseregulatory
An enhanced use lease is a long-term agreement in which a government agency lets a private developer use underused public land or buildings in return for cash, services, or property improvements rather than traditional rent. For investors, it creates opportunities to build or operate revenue-generating projects on valuable sites owned by the government, but carries extra risk and complexity because approvals, construction requirements, and future use are controlled by public rules—like leasing a house from a landlord who also sets strict renovation rules.
modular microreactortechnical
A modular microreactor is a very small, factory-built nuclear reactor designed to produce heat or electricity in single, transportable units that can be combined or swapped like building blocks. Think of it as a compact power plant that can be shipped to a site rather than built onsite; it matters to investors because its smaller size, standardized manufacturing and flexible siting change project costs, construction risk, regulatory steps and potential markets such as remote power, industrial heat and backup generation.
small modular reactortechnical
A small modular reactor is a compact nuclear power plant designed to generate electricity in smaller amounts compared to traditional reactors. It can be built in factories, then transported and assembled on-site, making it quicker and often cheaper to deploy. For investors, these reactors represent a potential source of clean energy with lower upfront costs and flexible scaling, which could influence future energy markets and infrastructure investments.
molten salt reactortechnical
A molten salt reactor is a type of nuclear power device that uses molten (liquid) salt to carry heat and, in many designs, holds the nuclear fuel dissolved in that salt; think of it as a high‑temperature kettle where the hot liquid both contains and moves the energy. It matters to investors because it promises potentially lower cost, improved safety and higher efficiency than traditional reactors, creating new market and infrastructure opportunities — but it also brings long development timelines and regulatory and technical risks.
national environmental policy actregulatory
A U.S. law that requires federal agencies to evaluate and disclose the likely environmental effects of major projects and decisions before they proceed. For investors, that review can delay approvals, add compliance costs, or change project plans—like a required safety inspection that can uncover problems or require fixes before construction continues—so NEPA processes are a key source of timing, cost and legal risk for projects involving federal permits or funding.
