Oklo announced today that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the Principal Design Criteria topical report for the Aurora powerhouse currently under construction in Idaho. The topical report was approved on an accelerated review schedule, reflecting the regulator’s efforts to modernize licensing pathways for advanced reactors while maintaining stringent safety standards.
The approval clears the path for the report to be referenced in future applications and reduces the need to re-review established material. Oklo’s principal design criteria topical report establishes a regulatory framework that defines the fundamental safety, reliability, and performance requirements to guide future reactor licensing and design activities.
The Principal Design Criteria topical report was approved in less than half the traditional review timeline. Oklo also received notice of the report’s acceptance in just 15 days compared to the typical 30- to 60-day period following submission to the regulator.
“This milestone reflects strong work by the Oklo team and timely engagement by the regulator," said Oklo co-founder and CEO Jacob DeWitte. “Performance-based licensing, clear criteria, and efficient reviews are important to advancing modern nuclear projects safely and responsibly.”
The review of the topical report in the shortened timeframe aligns with the Nuclear Regulatory Commision’s efforts to modernize its review process following executive orders issued in May 2025 to streamline licensing procedures. It also follows the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act, or ADVANCE Act, which calls for a more efficient path to deployment for advanced nuclear technology. These steps reflect a strong federal focus on innovation in the U.S. nuclear sector.
Oklo’s NRC Principal Design Criteria Topical Report Approved for Aurora Powerhouse
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Posted by C130J_Darkstar
8 Comments
The NRC formally giving a thumbs up to Oklo’s novel safety design points is a huge derisk to their progress
Huge.
OKLO finally real, time to add to position
Amazing 🤩
Modular reactors are the future
Great news! Good real progress
SMR also went up 11% today. Not sure why outside of rising sentiment for OKLO. I’d almost expect SMR to do down because they presently have no relationships with AI companies; and the big argument in favor of SMR is that they’re the only ones with NRC approval. OKLO hasn’t been approved yet, but it now seems more likely.
Encouraging progress!