Sam Altman may not have shares in OpenAI, but he has been putting eggs in other potentially huge baskets. For example, Oklo, a Californian startup that develops new nuclear fission technology, and which has just closed one of the largest corporate emissions-free energy agreements ever signed.

The news. Oklo, supported and chaired by Sam Altman, has signed an agreement with Switch to supply 12 GW of nuclear capacity to the American giant that operates data centers for Google, Nvidia, Tesla, PayPal, JP Morgan Chase and other companies.

Oklo has committed to building enough SMR fission reactors by 2044 to power Switch’s data centers with up to 12 GW of power. Oklo itself would operate these advanced nuclear plants to sell electricity to customers through Switch.

A nuance. The agreement is not binding, nor has it managed to excite investors of the nuclear startup listed on the New York Stock Exchange too much. One of the reasons to distrust Oklo is that has not yet received approval from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission to begin operating. His previous application was denied in 2022.

Whether those reactors are built and begin generating safe, emissions-free energy depends on Oklo gaining NRC approval. But that is only the first step: the startup also has to demonstrate that it is capable of building hundreds of SMR reactors, initially of 15 MW and later 50 to 100 MW, until reaching an installed capacity of 12 GW by 2044.

Altman’s role. Sam Altman chairs Oklo’s board of directors and has been an investor in the company since the seed round in 2015, after its founders Jacob DeWitte and Caroline Cochran, both MIT graduates, went through the Y Combinator accelerator.

Earlier this year, Oklo completed a reverse merger with AltC, a company led by Sam Altman whose sole purpose was to pursue a future acquisition or merger. Oklo started trading on the stock market after the operation.

Oklo technology. The nuclear fission startup wants to have its first plant ready, named Aurorain 2027. Instead of a conventional nuclear power plant, it is a liquid metal-cooled small modular reactor (SMR), a modern system that reduces power output in exchange for improvements in system safety and efficiency.

However, the company’s objectives and the agreement with Switch are a dead letter for Oklo to receive NRC approval. The company plans to reapply in 2025 in hopes that the new administration and legislation taking effect next year will speed up the process.

In techopiniones | Nuclear yes, thank you: Sam Altman is clear about the energy that will allow AI to take its big leap