Oklo surges after receiving approval for next phase in the construction of its first reactor
Revenue-free retail favorite Oklo is up in early trading after announcing regulatory updates on its first product, a reactor it calls Aurora, which it has started building at the US Energy Department’s primary nuclear energy research and development center, the Idaho National Laboratory.
Oklo announced that it signed an “other transaction agreement” (OTA) with the Department of Energy early Tuesday. (OTAs are typically used by the federal government to enter into research, prototyping, and production deals with private entities outside of the typical procurement processes.)
Oklo also announced that the DOE’s Idaho Operations Office also signed off on a preliminary safety design review for the reactor, which is expected to be completed sometime in late 2027 or 2028. The company broke ground on the project in September.
Separately, Oklo also announced that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a materials license enabling an Oklo subsidiary to handle, process, and distribute isotopes.
“This is Oklo’s first NRC-issued license and supports the transition from design and planning to real-world execution and progress,” the company said.
Given the close involvement of the federal government in the development of nuclear power plants, Oklo’s close ties to the Trump administration have been seen as an important advantage for the company — but have also drawn scrutiny and criticism.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright was formerly a board member at Oklo, before he was tapped to lead the Trump administration’s Department of Energy.
The department is playing a more prominent role in the nuclear regulatory process under an executive order designed to speed up approval of new nuclear energy technologies.
Separately, Oklo is due to report earnings after the close of trading on Tuesday.
Oklo announced that it signed an “other transaction agreement” (OTA) with the Department of Energy early Tuesday. (OTAs are typically used by the federal government to enter into research, prototyping, and production deals with private entities outside of the typical procurement processes.)
Oklo also announced that the DOE’s Idaho Operations Office also signed off on a preliminary safety design review for the reactor, which is expected to be completed sometime in late 2027 or 2028. The company broke ground on the project in September.
Separately, Oklo also announced that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a materials license enabling an Oklo subsidiary to handle, process, and distribute isotopes.
“This is Oklo’s first NRC-issued license and supports the transition from design and planning to real-world execution and progress,” the company said.
Given the close involvement of the federal government in the development of nuclear power plants, Oklo’s close ties to the Trump administration have been seen as an important advantage for the company — but have also drawn scrutiny and criticism.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright was formerly a board member at Oklo, before he was tapped to lead the Trump administration’s Department of Energy.
The department is playing a more prominent role in the nuclear regulatory process under an executive order designed to speed up approval of new nuclear energy technologies.
Separately, Oklo is due to report earnings after the close of trading on Tuesday.
