Dive Brief:
Oklo is moving ahead with an ambitious plan to build 12 gigawatts (GW) of new reactor capacity over the next two decades. This comes through a master power agreement with data center developer Switch. Oklo announced this significant step today, marking a major development in advanced nuclear technologies.
The agreement sets a foundation for future cooperation, with hopes that specific binding contracts will be drawn up as projects reach certain milestones. According to Oklo, initial deployments of their 50-MWe Aurora reactor could kick off by 2029, and they are also looking into larger 100+ MW designs for scalability.
Dive Insight:
This deal between Oklo and Switch is viewed as one of the largest corporate power agreements ever made. It surpasses a notable 10.5-GW arrangement recently signed by Microsoft and Brookfield Asset Management, highlighting the scale and importance of this agreement.
While the deal is currently non-binding, it lays out plans for Oklo to supply electricity to Switch’s data centers through a series of power purchase agreements. The agreement envisions a collaboration extending into the year 2044, which can help accelerate Oklo’s initial deployments and respond to the growing demand for clean power.
The arrangement significantly boosts Oklo’s existing projects, increasing its order book from 2.1 GW to about 14 GW. Switch has been operating with 100% renewable energy since 2016 and has been acquiring nearly 984 GWh of green power annually.
In comments on this partnership, Oklo’s co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte spoke about the shared vision for nuclear energy’s role in supporting AI data centers. Unlike similar companies that plan to sell reactors to third-party operators, Oklo aims to own and operate its power plants, directly providing both electricity and heat to its clients.
Additionally, Oklo is currently preparing to deploy its first 15-MW reactor at Idaho National Laboratory by late 2027. They plan to submit their initial license application for this design in 2025, followed by continual applications for further commercial setups.
As the landscape for advanced nuclear energy continues to evolve, recent months have seen notable agreements between nuclear developers and major data center operators. Companies like Amazon and Google have also initiated plans to collaborate with various nuclear firms to explore increased nuclear capacity, indicating a strong trend towards integrating nuclear power within the tech industry’s energy strategy.