Sam Altman-backed nuclear startup Oklo to start Idaho microreactor site work [Video]

Nuclear startup Oklo is moving closer to initial construction of its first commercial microreactor, CEO Jacob DeWitte told CNBC in an interview.

Oklo has received the greenlight from the Department of Energy to conduct site investigations for the planned reactor at Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, the company announced Wednesday.

The site investigations will focus on infrastructure planning, environmental surveys and geotechnical assessments.

“This sets the stage for doing all the initial site … prep work, and what I would call initial construction activities,” DeWitte said. He expects Oklo to break ground at the Idaho site in 2026, with plans to have the reactor up and running by the following year.

Oklo, however, still needs approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build and operate the plant after its first application was rejectedin 2022. The CEO acknowledged there’s …