The details: The approval of a PDSA can be thought of as the third of four steps in earning DOE authorization to build a reactor.
The first step in that process is the signing of an other transaction agreement. Oklo announced that it had signed its OTA with the DOE for Aurora in March.
The second step is the approval of a nuclear safety design agreement. Oklo also announced in March that its NSDA was approved after its entrance into the OTA.
The third step is the approval of the PDSA, which Oklo has just achieved. In its latest announcement, the company characterized the PDSA as a “detailed review of the preliminary safety basis for Aurora-INL, including the project’s hazard analysis, accident analysis, safety controls, and design commitments.”
The final step is the approval of the documented safety analysis. The DSA enables a company to obtain final authorization and begin operating. Oklo has not yet made any mention of its progress on DSA approval. Also notably absent from the recent announcement was any mention of the July 4 deadline around which the Reactor Pilot Program centers.
Brief background: Aurora-INL is slated to be the first deployment of Oklo’s Aurora design. The company broke ground on the project in September 2025. Aurora is a liquid metal–cooled, metal-fueled fast reactor. The company said it “builds on the design and operating heritage of the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II.” According to the NRC, the Aurora has “a maximum power level of 75 MWe,” though statements regarding its capacity are also notably absent from Oklo press releases. The question of Aurora-INL’s power is confused by the reactor’s long and evolving design history. Ten years ago, the company entered preapplication discussions with the NRC for a 1.5 MW version of the design. The license application for that project ultimately was denied without prejudice by the NRC in 2022.
A broader look: Securing its PDSA is the first milestone announced by Oklo after fellow Reactor Pilot Program participant Antares made waves last week by announcing that it had achieved criticality at INL. With only a few weeks left until July 4, it is uncertain how many other companies in the program are nearing criticality. President Trump’s Executive Order 14300 originally called for at least three companies to meet the deadline.
On Wednesday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright testified before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee to defend the DOE’s fiscal year 2027 budget request. There, he told representatives, “We’ll probably have two more [criticalities] before July 4, so nuclear is going to move forward.”
During that lengthy hearing, Wright touched on the current state and future of nuclear energy several more times. His thoughts were perhaps best summarized by his response to Rep. April Delaney (D., Md.), who asked, “What role do you believe advanced nuclear technologies will play in meeting America’s growing energy industrial needs?”
Wright answered first by agreeing with Delaney’s claims that nuclear power will be key in ensuring energy security, staying competitive with China, and meeting ever-growing energy demands from the AI sector. He then added, “The biggest use of energy is industry, is building things, and the biggest source of energy for industry is high-temperature process heat.” This heat, he said, “is the most important energy source on the planet” and is one of many reasons that continued investment in nuclear remains critical.
