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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO) (“Oklo”), an advanced nuclear technology company, today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Idaho Operations Office has approved the Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis (PDSA) for Oklo’s Aurora powerhouse at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) under DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program (RPP).
The PDSA is a major step under DOE’s RPP authorization pathway and represents a detailed review of the preliminary safety basis for Aurora-INL, including the project’s hazard analysis, accident analysis, safety controls, and design commitments. The approval advances Aurora-INL through a framework designed to unlock U.S. industrial capacity by enabling an accelerated deployment of scalable generation capacity under rigorous federal oversight.
“This approval represents an important milestone for Aurora-INL and helps establish a foundation for future Aurora deployments,” said Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo. “Aurora-INL is helping show how advanced reactors can move through real safety review, real construction, and ultimately into commercial licensing.”
Aurora-INL will be the first of Oklo’s planned fast fission power plants and has been granted access to recovered fuel from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) following a competitive DOE process launched in 2019, the same year Oklo received a site-use permit at INL for the Aurora powerhouse.
Aurora-INL is advancing alongside Oklo’s broader work in Idaho, including the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility (A3F) where it will be fabricating the initial fuel assemblies for Aurora-INL from EBR-II fuel. DOE’s Idaho Operations Office approved A3F’s PDSA in December 2025, making A3F the first facility to be approved under DOE’s Fuel Line Pilot Program.
DOE’s RPP provides a modern authorization framework for building and operating advanced nuclear projects under DOE oversight. Through the program, Oklo expects to gain early deployment and operating experience with Aurora-INL, while continuing to pursue U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing to support future commercial operations.
About Idaho National Laboratory: Battelle Energy Alliance manages INL for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. INL is the nation’s center for nuclear energy research and development and also performs research in each of DOE’s strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and the environment. For more information, visit www.inl.gov. Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, affordable energy at global scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical isotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert used nuclear fuel 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.