Small nuclear reactor developer and nuclear fuel recycling company Oklo has signed a non-binding Master Power Agreement with US data center developer Switch to supply up to 12GW of power through 2044.
Under the agreement, Oklo will develop, construct, and operate an undisclosed number of its Aurora Powerhouse nuclear reactors and provide power to Switch through a series of long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
According to the company, the agreement’s long timescale will support Oklo in developing a financial and infrastructure model for scaling its nuclear power solution. It will also establish a framework for collaboration, with the expectation that individual binding agreements will be finalized as project milestones are reached.
“The lifespan of this Master Agreement will allow us to iterate and evolve with Switch, from development to deployment to scaling. We believe that working with Switch will not only accelerate our early powerhouses but also accelerate our ability to scale by demonstrating customer demand for decades to come,” said Jacon DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo.
According to Switch, the agreement with Oklo will support its mission to build efficient, sustainable infrastructure while bolstering the voluntary market for renewable and clean energy sources.
“The relationship with Oklo underscores our commitment to deploying advanced nuclear power at a transformative scale for our data centers, further enhancing our offerings of one of the world’s most advanced data center infrastructures to current and future Switch clients,” said Rob Roy, founder, and CEO of Switch.
Founded in 2000, Switch operates its large 'Prime' data center campuses in Austin, Texas; Reno, Las Vegas; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Atlanta, Georgia. Over the last year, it has filed to expand further in Austin and Atlanta.
Oklo’s Aurora Powerhouse nuclear reactor is a fast neutron reactor that utilizes metallic fuel. Its capacity ranges between 15MW and 50MW.
Oklo plans to commission its first reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory (IHL) in 2027. In October, the US Department of Energy (DOE) approved its conceptual safety design report on its proposed Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility at the IHL. The facility will produce fuel for Oklo's planned Aurora power plant at INL and utilize high-assay, low-enriched uranium.
The agreement with Switch marks Oklo’s fifth with a data center company in 2024. In April, it signed its first agreement with a data center operator, inking a 500MW agreement with Equinix. In May, it signed a non-binding letter of intent outlining plans for a PPA with Prometheus Hyperscale to provide 100MW of power through one or more SMRs. Finally, last month, it partnered with two undisclosed data center providers to deliver up to 750MW of power.
Following the agreement with Switch, Sam Altman-backed Oklo has a customer pipeline exceeding 14GW of power.
However, Oklo has also suffered several setbacks. Late last year, the US Air Force rescinded a $100m award for one of its microreactors, and it has yet to receive approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its designs.
Oklo's announcement is the latest in a long line of agreements signed in 2024 between the data center and SMR sectors.
In October, AWS signed three agreements with Energy Northwest, X-Energy, and Dominion Virginia to support the deployment of more than 600MW of power across Washington and Virginia.
Before this, Google signed a corporate agreement to purchase nuclear energy from multiple SMRs from Karios Power, with an expected deployment date in 2030.
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