Idaho Falls, ID – The next chapter of America’s nuclear innovation began September 22 as leaders and stakeholders gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony on the Aurora powerhouse, a new power-generating facility at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).
Developed by Oklo, Inc., the Aurora project will feature a sodium-cooled fast reactor that is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program. The initiative is designed to accelerate advanced nuclear deployment at a time when national electricity demands are climbing, fueled in large part by the growth of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
The Aurora-INL facility is one of three pilot projects awarded to Oklo, including one through its subsidiary, Atomic Alchemy.
“Oklo, Inc.’s Aurora powerhouse will deliver clean, affordable and reliable American energy to power a new generation of intelligence manufacturing across the country,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum at the ceremony. “As advancements in artificial intelligence drive up electricity demands, projects like this are critical to ensuring the United States can meet that need and remain at the forefront of the global AI arms race.”
Oklo’s sodium-cooled fast reactor design is based on decades of U.S. nuclear expertise. According to the company, the Aurora plant “builds on the design and operating heritage of the Experimental Breeder Reactor II,” which successfully ran from 1964 to 1994. The DOE granted Oklo access to fuel recovered from the EBR-II in 2019, a step that laid the groundwork for Aurora’s development. To date, Oklo has completed two of the four DOE-required steps to authorize the creation of the plant’s initial reactor core.
“This opportunity positions us to build our first plant more quickly,” said Jacob DeWitte, CEO and co-founder of Oklo. “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 construction effort, led by Kiewit Nuclear Solutions Co., is expected to create 370 jobs in the near term and 70–80 long-term roles once the plant becomes operational. The project will also inject significant investment into the Idaho Falls region while establishing a model for future advanced nuclear facilities nationwide.
“INL has always been where nuclear innovation becomes reality,” said John Wagner, Director of INL. “Today’s groundbreaking with Oklo continues that legacy, bringing advanced reactor technology from the laboratory to commercial deployment right here in Idaho.”
Beyond its economic and technological contributions, the Aurora powerhouse is seen as a step toward meeting the country’s clean energy goals. With AI and cloud computing centers consuming vast amounts of power, nuclear projects like Aurora may play a pivotal role in balancing sustainability with demand for reliable electricity.
The Aurora powerhouse underscores the growing momentum in advanced nuclear development and positions Idaho once again at the heart of energy innovation.
Originally reported by IBR Staff in Idaho Business Review.
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