Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO) marked a historic milestone today with the groundbreaking of its first Aurora powerhouse at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The event drew a remarkable lineup of federal, state, and local leaders, underscoring the significance of advanced nuclear energy in America’s future. Oklo’s co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte joined INL Director John Wagner in opening remarks, followed by keynote speeches from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, as well as remarks from Idaho Governor Bradley Little, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Senators Mike Crapo and James Risch, Congressman Mike Simpson, Idaho Lieutenant Governor Scott Bedke, NRC Commissioner Bradley Crowell, DOE officials Michael Goff and Robert Boston, and Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper. Their presence reflects a growing bipartisan and interagency commitment to nuclear innovation.
The Aurora-INL project is one of three awarded to Oklo under the U.S. Department of Energy’s newly launched Reactor Pilot Program, created after executive orders signed in May 2025 to accelerate nuclear deployment and streamline licensing. Two of these projects were granted directly to Oklo, while the third went to its subsidiary, Atomic Alchemy. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum framed the project within a broader geopolitical and technological context, emphasizing that as artificial intelligence drives surging electricity demand, the U.S. must ensure its energy dominance to stay competitive in what he called the “global AI arms race.” His remarks tied advanced nuclear energy not only to climate and reliability goals but also to national competitiveness.
Technically, the Aurora-INL is a sodium-cooled fast reactor that builds upon the legacy of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II), which successfully operated in Idaho for three decades. Oklo has been authorized to use fuel recovered from EBR-II, awarded by the DOE in 2019, and has already completed half of the DOE’s approval process to fabricate its first core at the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility (A3F). “We have been working with the DOE and INL since 2019 to bring this plant into existence, and this marks a new chapter of building,” said CEO Jacob DeWitte, highlighting how the years of preparation are now transitioning into tangible construction.
Engineering giant Kiewit Nuclear Solutions Co., a subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation, will lead design, procurement, and construction under a Master Services Agreement signed in July 2025. Leveraging Kiewit’s expertise in delivering industrial megaprojects, Oklo expects to benefit from accelerated timelines, cost reductions, and uncompromised safety standards. The powerhouse will create around 370 construction jobs and 70–80 long-term skilled roles once operational. “INL has always been where nuclear innovation becomes reality,” said John Wagner, stressing how Oklo continues Idaho’s legacy as a global hub for nuclear breakthroughs.
The Aurora-INL represents more than just another power station. It symbolizes a shift in how nuclear technology can serve 21st-century needs—compact, fast-to-deploy, and designed to integrate with new industrial demand from AI and next-generation manufacturing. By aligning national laboratories, private innovation, and political leadership, Oklo is positioning its Aurora reactors as a cornerstone of the U.S. strategy for clean energy and technological resilience.