Power demand is rising, with the load in the United States expected to increase 25 percent by 2030. Utility companies, grid operators, and local governments are evaluating advanced nuclear technologies to meet the growing need for electricity. But the defining test for advanced nuclear is no longer proof of concept – it is whether developers can fuel, license, manufacture, and replicate plants on credible schedules.
That challenge is central to how nuclear power company Oklo, Inc. approaches commercialization.
“While innovation in reactor design absolutely matters, it is not what will move advanced nuclear forward,” said Caroline DeWitte, co-founder and chief operating officer at Oklo, an advanced nuclear technology company. “The real barrier is the business case: creating a viable path to market through financing, plant construction, and a product customers want to buy.”
Oklo’s Aurora powerhouse reflects that technical foundation, using a sodium-cooled fast reactor design to produce clean energy.
“Aurora combines verified technology with inherent, passive safety—it can shut itself down naturally without damage—while also reusing nuclear waste as fuel, extracting far more energy from existing material rather than relying on newly mined and enriched resources,” DeWitte said.
A major constraint in the nuclear industry is delivery: making clean, affordable power reliable, commercial, and accessible. Oklo’s full-service model is built around customer needs, with the company owning and operating plants, managing fuel and recycling, and overseeing the lifecycle from design through long-term operation.