Oklo

Recent news

• Jul 8, 2026

  GridMarket, Deployable Energy partner to deploy microreactors for data centers

  GridMarket and Deployable Energy have announced a partnership to support advanced nuclear power development for the data center sector.

  • The companies are targeting deployment of 500MW per year from 2030 to 2035 and say the partnership could support more than 3GW of capacity through 2035.
  • GridMarket will connect its customer pipeline and deployment-ready sites to Deployable Energy’s Unity Nuclear Battery, a 1MWe gas-cooled microreactor designed to fit inside a 20 ft container and be deployed in arrays.
  • Deployable Energy was selected for the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad and says its test reactor reached criticality earlier this month; the company is based in Houston, Texas. The article also notes that the parties will pursue customer engagements and an initial pilot project, with no further pilot details provided.
• Jul 1, 2026

  Deployable Energy’s Unity Nuclear Reactor Achieves Criticality at INL, Third Under DOE Nuclear Push

  Deployable Energy has announced that its Unity demonstration reactor achieved criticality at Idaho National Laboratory, marking the third DOE-authorized advanced reactor to reach the milestone under the agency’s nuclear push.

  • Unity completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration at INL on June 30; Deployable said it was done safely and as planned under applicable regulatory requirements.
  • The DOE said the milestone fulfills Executive Order 14301 goals tied to the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad; Deployable said the campaign involved a roughly 150-day schedule and a single-digit million dollar investment.
• Jul 1, 2026

  Blue Energy, GE Vernova Advance ‘Gas Bridge’ Model to Unlock Nuclear Finance

  Blue Energy and GE Vernova announced a collaborative 2.5-GW gas-plus-nuclear project planned for the Port of Victoria, Texas, and Blue Energy previously signed a strategic partnership with Crusoe to supply nuclear-powered baseload to Crusoe’s AI data center campus.

  • Main announcement: Blue Energy and GE Vernova announced a 2.5-GW collaboration (May 2026) to develop what they describe as the world’s first gas-plus-nuclear power plant at the Port of Victoria, Texas; the agreement includes a slot reservation for two GE 7HA.02 gas turbines (2029 delivery) expected to provide ~1 GW of power by 2030, with up to five BWRX-300 SMRs supporting about 1.5 GW of nuclear generation as early as 2032. The project is subject to a final investment decision in 2027 and Blue Energy plans to apply for an NRC construction permit in 2027.
  • Background & financing details: Blue Energy (founded 2023, emerged from MIT) exited stealth with a $45 million Series A and says its modular prefabrication model could reduce costs from >$10,000/kW to ~$2,000/kW (target later stated) and cut build time from ~10 years to as low as 48 months for the gas-to-nuclear sequence; Blue Energy cites ~$100 million of prior site work on the Port of Victoria tract from Exelon, and GE Vernova brings large equipment and services backlogs (e.g., $87B services backlog, $76B equipment backlog) that factor into supply-chain scaling and timing.
• May 15, 2026

  AI Data Centers Are Driving Nuclear's Next Commercial Test

  NANO Nuclear signed a non-binding MOU with Supermicro on May 6 to explore integrating microreactors with Supermicro’s AI servers and data center platforms.

  • Main announcement: The May 6 non-binding MOU between NANO Nuclear and Supermicro will explore dedicated on-site nuclear power for data centers, including integration of Supermicro AI racks and cooling with NANO’s KRONOS MMR, joint go-to-market strategies for hyperscale and enterprise customers, and a self-powered, grid-independent AI infrastructure model. The agreement is explicitly exploratory and is not a PPA, financing, construction start, or NRC license.
  • Related developments & context: Multiple parallel actions include Terrestrial Energy–Riot Platforms MOU to evaluate deployments of IMSR units (possible multiple 390 MW units and up to 4 GW across candidate sites in Texas and Kentucky), X-energy’s IPO (~$1 billion raised via 44.3M shares at $23 each), and Blue Energy–GE Vernova’s 2.5 GW gas-plus-nuclear strategy (FID target 2027, gas turbines targeted for 2029 delivery). Constellation’s Crane restart is backed by a 20‑year Microsoft agreement and is contingent on regulatory/interconnection decisions potentially decided in June or July.
• May 8, 2026

  Supermicro’s New AI Campus Embodies the Industrialization of AI Infrastructure

  Supermicro announced the opening of its largest U.S. Data Center Building Block Solutions (DCBBS) campus near its San Jose headquarters on April 27, 2026.

  • Main announcement: The new DCBBS campus spans ~32.8 acres and more than 714,000 square feet, becomes Supermicro’s fourth Bay Area location, expands the company’s regional footprint to nearly 4 million square feet, and will support advanced system design, domestic manufacturing, testing, service, and global distribution for Supermicro’s AI infrastructure portfolio. The facility includes 10 MW of on‑campus power capacity and is positioned as a rack‑scale, liquid‑cooled AI integration and validation hub.
  • Background and related details: Supermicro frames this as a move from server manufacturing to rack-scale DCBBS integration, part of a global footprint spanning Taiwan, Malaysia, and the Netherlands; the company reported fiscal 2025 net sales of $22 billion (up from $15 billion the prior year), projected fiscal 2026 revenue of at least $33 billion, and in early May projected quarterly revenue of $11–$12.5 billion. On May 6, Supermicro signed a non-binding MOU with NANO Nuclear to explore pairing microreactor generation (KRONOS platform) with Supermicro’s liquid‑cooled AI systems (no commercial deployment timeline announced).
• May 5, 2026

  Meta’s Space Solar Bet Spotlights AI Power Gap

  Meta has announced partnerships with Overview Energy and Noon Energy to pursue space-based solar power (SBSP) and long-duration energy storage as long-term capacity solutions, with initial orbital demonstrations targeted for 2028.

  • Main announcement and timing: Meta is pursuing SBSP and long-duration storage via deals with Overview Energy and Noon Energy, targeting demonstrations planned for 2028; these efforts are described as a long-term capacity bet rather than an immediate fix for AI-driven power demand.
  • Background and context: Near-term constraints include US grid interconnection delays (~5 years on average per LBNL) and transmission limits; Meta already has >30 GW of contracted renewable energy and 7.7 GW of nuclear capacity through partnerships with Constellation Energy, TerraPower, Oklo, and Vistra, while experts note SBSP remains largely theoretical and multiyear due to technical, efficiency, and deployment cost challenges.
• May 4, 2026

  Nuclear Startup Expands into Phoenix with CLO Appointment

  NuCube Energy has established an on-the-ground presence in Phoenix and appointed Michael Green as Chief Legal Officer.

  • Expansion details: NuCube has opened its first Phoenix-based team presence and named Michael Green (formerly Deputy General Counsel for Strategic Execution at Oklo) as Chief Legal Officer to lead legal, partnership development, deployment planning, and Arizona engagement. The company cites data center, semiconductor, and advanced industrial demand in Arizona as drivers for localized deployment and co-location opportunities.
  • Background and supporting actions: NuCube recently received a DOE GAIN voucher (in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory) to validate autonomous operations, remote monitoring, and predictive maintenance, and was selected with Idaho State University for the U.S. Department of Energy Nuclear Energy Launch Pad (USA) program to support siting of NuCube’s ART Reactor at ISU’s Pocatello campus; additionally, Arizona Nuclear Ventures led a $16 million financing round (Feb 2026) with participation from Rob Walton, Jordan Rose Walton, and Emission Reduction Corporation to fund technical validation, regulatory licensing, and early deployment pathways.
• Apr 30, 2026

  Oklo launches nuclear AI partnership

  Oklo, Nvidia and the Los Alamos National Laboratory have announced a strategic collaboration to advance plutonium-bearing fuel validation and to design nuclear-powered AI factories.

  • Strategic collaboration & focus areas: The agreement integrates Oklo’s sodium-cooled fast reactor technology, Nvidia’s AI and high-performance computing, and LANL’s materials science and nuclear fuels expertise, with R&D hosted at LANL in New Mexico. Initial focus areas are AI-Enhanced Fuel Validation, Materials Science R&D (plutonium-bearing fuel fabrication), Nuclear-Powered AI Factories (integrated full-stack solutions for high-density AI data centres and grid reliability/stabilisation), and Digital Twins and Simulation. The fuel R&D supports Oklo’s Pluto reactor and the Aurora Powerhouse design (both selected under the DoE Reactor Pilot Program). The DoE’s Genesis Mission (launched November 2025) is identified as a related federal initiative; Oklo targets commercial power generation by end of 2027.
  • Background, hosting and implementation details: R&D and critical experiments are being conducted under existing partnerships: Oklo is performing plutonium fast reactor critical tests with LANL at the DoE’s National Criticality Experiments Research Centre (NCERC) at the Nevada National Security Site under a Strategic Partnership Project (SPP). Oklo previously received a site use permit from the DoE for the Aurora plant, was awarded fuel from the Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted a combined licence application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Projects under this new agreement include proof-of-concept work and integrated R&D; no monetary values or contract prices were disclosed in the article.
• Apr 28, 2026

  Meta Secures 1 GW Space-Based Solar Power Deal for Data Centres

  Meta Platforms has agreed with Overview Energy to secure up to 1 GW of space-based solar capacity for its data centre operations by 2030.

  • Agreement details: Meta will gain early access to up to 1 GW of capacity from Overview Energy’s space-based solar system; an orbital demonstration is expected in 2028 with commercial power delivery in 2030, and financial details were not disclosed.
  • Background and context: The deal responds to rising electricity demand driven by AI and data centre growth; Meta is developing multiple gigawatt-scale data centres in the United States, including a rural Louisiana project estimated at $50 billion, and has existing partnerships with Vistra, Oklo, and TerraPower while committing to net-zero by 2030 and contracting 10.24 GW of clean energy capacity in 2025.
• Apr 23, 2026

  How Corporate Energy Buyers Are Reshaping the U.S. Grid: CEBA CEO Rich Powell on Data Centers, Nuclear, and Permitting Reform

  The Corporate Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) CEO Rich Powell described how corporate energy buyers are reshaping the U.S. grid and urged federal permitting and transmission planning reform.

  • Main announcement/action: CEBA says corporate buyers have announced 143.8 GW of clean energy deals in the U.S. since 2014 and contracted a record 27 GW in 2025 (with ~17 GW in Q1 2026 reported by S&P Global), and CEBA members are committing to cost-allocation measures (e.g., the Ratepayer Protection Pledge) to cover the costs to serve new loads while supporting grid upgrades.
  • Background and additional details: CEBA members procured about 20 GW of solar and 5 GW of nuclear in 2025; the membership is technology-agnostic (“If it’s carbon emissions free, we like it”); Powell pressed for federal permitting reform and transmission planning codified into law so permits cannot be unduly rescinded; listed technologies include restarts, license renewals, uprates, SMRs and advanced reactors (X-energy, Kairos, TerraPower, Oklo), and new deal structures collapsing physical and virtual PPAs into hybrid firm-capacity-plus-attribute arrangements.
• Apr 23, 2026

  TerraPower’s Kemmerer 1 Enters Construction: Timeline of the Natrium Project’s Road to First Power

  TerraPower has announced the official start of construction on Kemmerer Unit 1, its flagship Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor plant, on April 23, 2026.

  • Construction start and project scope: TerraPower announced the official start of construction for Kemmerer Unit 1 on April 23, 2026, following the NRC’s construction permit issued March 4, 2026; the plant is a 345‑MWe sodium‑cooled fast reactor with an integrated molten‑salt energy storage system that can boost output to 500 MW, with a 2030–2031 commercial operation target and an expected mobilization of roughly 1,600 workers and about 250 full‑time staff in operation.
  • Background, funding, and partners: The project was selected under DOE’s ARDP with up to $2 billion in cost‑shared federal support; Bechtel is the EPC contractor (transitioning from early works into field execution); other partners and stakeholders include GE Hitachi, PacifiCorp, a HALEU partnership with Framatome, and a data‑center‑focused agreement with Meta; the NRC permit establishes licensing firsts for a commercial non–light water reactor and uses the LMP risk‑informed approach.
• Apr 20, 2026

  BYOP Moves to the Center of Data Center Strategy

  Data Center Frontier analyzes the growing adoption of “bring your own power” (BYOP) strategies by data center developers and hyperscalers.

  • Main finding: BYOP (onsite natural gas, modular fuel cells, co-located plants, and future advanced nuclear) is being adopted to accelerate energization, reduce grid-related costs, and close the time-to-power gap; modeling from Camus, Encoord, and Princeton’s ZERO Lab suggests a 500 MW data center using a hybrid approach could reach full operation 3–5 years faster and reduce grid-related costs by roughly $78 million per GW.
  • Context and examples: Live projects and corporate moves illustrate implementation: Crusoe + Engine No. 1 JV expected to draw on roughly 4.5 GW; Crusoe ordered 29 LM2500XPRESS units (~1 GW); Meta El Paso includes 366 MW behind-the-meter gas; xAI received approval for 41 turbines (1.2 GW) in Mississippi. The article documents permitting, equipment orders, turbine backlog pressures (GE Vernova ~80 GW backlog), and regulatory/community scrutiny (El Paso, Memphis/Southaven, PJM).
• Apr 9, 2026

  From Reactor Designs to Real Projects: SMRs Enter the Execution Era as AI Power Demand Accelerates

  Data Center Frontier reports that the SMR story in early 2026 has moved from reactor design discussion to concrete industrial execution focused on permits, fuel, supply chains, financing, and customer traction.

  • Main announcement / action: Through Q1 2026 (notably March), multiple vendors advanced from partnership announcements to tangible progress: TerraPower secured an NRC construction permit for Natrium; Holtec had its LWA docketed for two SMR-300 units at Palisades and is pursuing preliminary construction and a partnership with Hyundai Engineering & Construction (aiming at up to 10 GW in North America); X-energy confidentially filed for an IPO (Reuters, March 20) and signed MOUs with Talen Energy (evaluating multiple four-unit Xe-100 deployments) and IHI to strengthen U.S.-Japan supply chains.
  • Background and other details: Vendors are addressing three execution constraints: regulatory progress, manufacturing and fuel ecosystems (e.g., NuScale expanded its Framatome fuel partnership and planned U.S. production at Richland; Oklo and Centrus plan HALEU-related joint activities at Piketon, Ohio; Kairos secured a HALEU contract with DOE), and customer alignment (growing emphasis on industrial users, utilities, and data-center-driven load). Additional milestones: GE Hitachi advanced BWRX-300 deployment work (Step 2 UK GDA, MoUs in Southeast Asia and Poland) and Rolls-Royce SMR received a UK Justification Decision and partnered on supply-chain and control-systems work.
• Mar 19, 2026

  Nuclear Sprint: DOE and Industry Race to Meet Trump’s Target

  The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources convened March 19 to examine DOE implementation of President Trump’s May 2025 nuclear energy executive orders.

  • Main announcement/action: The hearing presented DOE and witnesses’ roadmap to expand U.S. nuclear capacity from ~100 GW today to 400 GW by 2050, with an executive-order milestone of three reactors achieving criticality by July 4, 2026; near-term measures include a $1 billion loan for the Crane Restart (expected 835 MW by 2028), Palisades restart (~800 MW) this summer, and reactor uprates adding ~2.5 GW by 2027 and ~5 GW by 2029. The DOE announced three $900 million enrichment awards, and Kairos Power is operating under a $303 million milestone-based technology investment agreement and a PPA to deliver up to 50 MW (part of up to 500 MW by 2035 with Google/TVA).

  • Background and other details: Witnesses flagged fuel supply vulnerabilities (Russia supplied ~20–25% of U.S. enriched uranium in 2024; a >3 million SWU gap exists), HALEU production gaps (no commercial-scale HALEU outside Russia/China), lithium-7 shortages for molten-salt reactors, INL facility timelines (e.g., DOME completion by March 31, 2026), participation in the Reactor Pilot Program (10 companies, 11 projects), and statutory/ export measures including the International Nuclear Energy Act of 2025 authorizing $65.5 million for export support and a Poland $47 billion AP1000 selection.