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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO) (“Oklo”), an advanced nuclear technology company, today holds a groundbreaking ceremony at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for its first Aurora powerhouse, the Aurora-INL. The event will feature opening remarks from Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte and INL Director John Wagner, keynote remarks from U.S. Environmental Protections Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, and brief remarks from officials including Idaho Governor Bradley Little, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and James Risch, U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson, Idaho Lieutenant Governor Scott Bedke, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Commissioner Bradley Crowell, U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Michael Goff and Robert Boston, and Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper.
Oklo is participating in the DOE’s newly established Reactor Pilot Program, a pathway created in response to executive orders signed in May 2025 to accelerate advanced nuclear deployment and to modernize nuclear licensing. Aurora-INL is one of three projects awarded to Oklo under the program, with two awarded directly to Oklo and one awarded to its subsidiary, Atomic Alchemy.
“Oklo Inc.'s Aurora powerhouse will deliver clean, affordable, and reliable American energy to power a new generation of intelligence manufacturing across the country,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “As advancements in artificial intelligence drive up electricity demands, projects like this are critical to ensuring the United States can meet that need and remain at the forefront of the global AI arms race. I am honored to be attending today's groundbreaking in order to witness firsthand the innovation and increased energy production we’re seeing under President Donald J. Trump’s American Energy Dominance Agenda.”
The Aurora-INL is a sodium-cooled fast reactor that uses metal fuel and builds on the design and operating heritage of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II), which ran in Idaho from 1964 to 1994. Oklo was awarded fuel recovered from EBR-II by the DOE in 2019 and has completed two of four steps for DOE authorization to fabricate its initial core at the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility (A3F) at INL.
“This opportunity positions us to build our first plant more quickly,” said Jacob DeWitte, CEO and co-founder of Oklo. “We have been working with the Department of Energy and the Idaho National Laboratory since 2019 to bring this plant into existence, and this marks a new chapter of building. We are excited for this, and for many more to come.”
“DOE is excited by the opportunity to work with reactor developers, such as Oklo, to capitalize on this moment of broad support for new nuclear generation and bring the Reactor Pilot Program into reality,” said Robert Boston, manager of the DOE Idaho Operations Office.
Kiewit Nuclear Solutions Co., a subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation, one of North America’s largest construction and engineering organizations, will serve as lead constructor supporting the design, procurement, and construction of the powerhouse under a Master Services Agreement announced in July 2025. Oklo expects to leverage Kiewit’s extensive expertise in delivering large-scale industrial projects on accelerated schedules with reduced costs, while maintaining high standards of safety and quality.
The project is expected to create approximately 370 jobs during construction and 70–80 long-term, highly skilled roles to operate the powerhouse and A3F.
“INL has always been where nuclear innovation becomes reality,” said INL Director John Wagner. “Today’s groundbreaking with Oklo continues that legacy, bringing advanced reactor technology from the laboratory to commercial deployment right here in Idaho.”
About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale, establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes, and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.