Oklo's vision of Aurora-INL
The event was attended by several officials. US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said he was "honoured" to participate: "Oklo Inc's Aurora powerhouse will deliver clean, affordable, and reliable American energy to power a new generation of intelligence manufacturing across the country. As advancements in artificial intelligence drive up electricity demands, projects like this are critical to ensuring the United States can meet that need."
Aurora-INL is one of three Oklo projects selected under the Reactor Pilot Program, announced by the US Department of Energy (DOE) in August. The program seeks to accelerate advanced nuclear deployment and modernize licensing, with the target of demonstrating criticality in at least three test reactors by July 4, 2026.
Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte commented: "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."
The company was awarded fuel recovered from EBR-II in 2019 and has advanced two of four required DOE steps for authorisation to fabricate its initial core at the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility (A3F) at INL. In August, Oklo named Kiewit Nuclear Solutions Co as lead constructor to support design, procurement, and construction of the powerhouse.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is currently conducting pre-application activities for the Aurora Powerhouse, described as a liquid metal-cooled, metal-fuelled fast reactor with a maximum capacity of 75 MWe. Oklo first submitted an application to the NRC in 2020, although the regulator later determined additional data was needed. The company resumed pre-licensing in 2022 and was cleared to begin site characterisation work at INL in November 2024. Oklo has indicated it will submit a combined license application later this year.
The groundbreaking was attended by INL Director John Wagner, US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, Idaho Governor Bradley Little, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Senators Mike Crapo and James Risch, Congressman Mike Simpson, Idaho Lieutenant Governor Scott Bedke, Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper, and representatives from NRC and DOE.
John Wagner stated: "INL has always been where nuclear innovation becomes reality. Today's groundbreaking with Oklo continues that legacy, bringing advanced reactor technology from the laboratory to commercial deployment right here in Idaho."
The project is expected to create about 370 jobs during construction and an additional 70 to 80 long-term roles to operate the powerhouse and the A3F facility.
