Sam Altman-backed nuclear startup Oklo is preparing for its second try at securing a federal license for a small modular reactor after being denied by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission three years ago.
NRC in 2022 denied Oklo’s application to build and operate its Aurora reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory — a rare rejection of a formal nuclear design application.
Oklo — based in Santa Clara, California, and with the backing of OpenAI founder Altman — said this week it is preparing for a formal license application with NRC through a pre-application process. The idea is to address regulatory issues early.
Oklo is among a handful of small reactor companies testing nuclear designs and vying for customers. The startups all have some level of backing from big tech companies eager to revive nuclear power. Google is partnering with Kairos Power, based in Alameda, California. Amazon is investing in X-energy, out of Rockville, Maryland. And Bill Gates founded TerraPower, based in Bellevue, Washington.
