Oklo ($OKLO) said Tuesday it was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for advanced negotiations under a federal program aimed at converting surplus Cold War-era plutonium into fuel for advanced nuclear reactors. The program follows a Trump administration push to redirect weapons-grade plutonium from disposal programs into domestic nuclear energy production.
- Reuters previously reported the administration planned to make roughly 20 metric tons of surplus plutonium available to U.S. reactor developers.
- Oklo is partnering with European nuclear firm newcleo on fuel fabrication and reactor deployment efforts tied to the program.
- Oklo said the initiative could help address advanced reactor fuel supply constraints while domestic enrichment capacity scales up.
- In 2025, Oklo sharply increased lobbying activity tied to nuclear energy policy, advanced reactor licensing, DOE funding programs, fuel cycle infrastructure and NRC regulatory issues.
- Oklo and newcleo previously announced plans for up to $2 billion of investment tied to advanced fuel fabrication infrastructure in the U.S.
- Four additional advanced nuclear companies were also selected for negotiations under the DOE program.
Relevant Companies
- Oklo ($OKLO) – Selected for DOE plutonium fuel negotiations and expanding advanced reactor fuel partnerships.
- NuScale Power ($SMR) – U.S. advanced reactor developers could benefit from expanded federal nuclear fuel initiatives.
- Cameco ($CCJ) – Nuclear fuel supply and enrichment markets may be impacted by expanded advanced reactor deployment.
Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. This article may be updated as more details become available.
