Oklo plans to deploy first Aurora microreactors by 2028

Oklo Inc. is building what might be the most consequential power plant you’ve never heard of. The company’s Aurora Powerhouse, a compact sodium-cooled fast reactor designed to generate between 15 and 75 MWe, is on track for its commercial debut at Idaho National Laboratory by 2028. The Department of Energy approved Oklo’s Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis on June 11, 2026, clearing a major regulatory hurdle. Construction is being managed by Kiewit, with a groundbreaking ceremony already in the rearview mirror as of September 22, 2025. Why data centers are driving a nuclear renaissance Oklo’s framework agreement with Switch, the data center operator, has pushed the company’s order book to approximately 14 GW. Oklo plans to deliver that capacity through hundreds of its smaller Aurora units. Oklo is also planning a 1.2 GW campus in Ohio with Meta, with construction work expected to begin in the 2026-2027 window and the first phase potentially coming online as early as 2030. These aren’t binding power purchase agreements yet. The Switch deal and Meta arrangement are structured as non-binding frameworks and plans, respectively. The fuel question and a $1B fundraise Oklo’s Aurora de...