USS Gerald R. Ford to Supply Electricity to Norfolk Naval Base as Emergency Power Test

The U.S. Navy will conduct a pioneering test this summer by connecting the nuclear‑powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to the electrical grid of Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao told the House Armed Services Committee that the carrier will export power to the base, saying, “This summer, the Norfolk Naval Base will be supplied from an aircraft carrier.”

The Ford class carrier, equipped with two A1B pressurized‑water reactors, can generate roughly 1,400 megawatts of thermal power—about 25 % more than the previous Nimitz‑class reactors. The experiment aims to demonstrate a resilient energy solution for military installations threatened by long‑range missiles, drones, and cyber attacks, and could also provide emergency fresh water production.

While the concept of ship‑borne power is not new—U.S. carriers supplied electricity to Tacoma in 1929 and other floating reactors have been used historically—the Ford test would be the first modern use of a nuclear‑powered carrier as a floating power plant. The Pentagon views the trial as a step toward broader energy autonomy for its bases.