Shares of Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) experienced a significant uptick following the announcement of a strategic partnership with Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META), highlighting a growing industry shift towards securing dependable and environmentally sustainable energy sources to support expanding data center infrastructures.
The core of the partnership centers around a 1.2-gigawatt (GW) nuclear power campus that Oklo plans to construct on a 206-acre site in Pike County, Ohio. This location, with its history as Department of Energy property, is now under Oklo’s ownership, serving as the foundation for this ambitious energy project. The primary objective is to provide Meta’s nearby data center operations with a consistent and clean power supply, aligning energy generation directly with consumption needs.
Initiating pre-construction activities and conducting detailed site analyses are slated for 2026. These foundational steps are critical to validating the project’s feasibility and preparing for physical development. The first phase aims to go live by 2030, establishing a functional beginning while allowing incremental scaling. The entire campus is projected to reach its full generating capacity of 1.2 GW by 2034, accommodating future growth and technological demands.
Financially, the structure of this collaboration involves Meta both prepaying for electricity and contributing funding to advance the development of Oklo’s Aurora powerhouse initiative at the Pike County site. This funding will be allocated primarily towards acquiring nuclear fuel and supporting progression through the initial phase of construction and development.
Oklo employs a financing model allowing substantial energy consumers to underwrite their generation capacity upfront. This strategy not only secures power supply tailored to specific needs but also injects private capital into clean energy infrastructure, potentially accelerating technology deployment and adoption.
Meta’s involvement extends beyond financing; the company’s commercial collaboration underpins the development of robust power infrastructure tailored to meet anticipated future demands of their data center footprint. Additionally, amplifying clean energy availability contributes to stabilizing and improving the reliability of Ohio’s wider electrical grid, benefiting a broader spectrum of customers beyond Meta itself.
Meta’s head of global energy, Urvi Parekh, emphasized the broader implications of the agreement, stating, “Our agreement with Oklo enables the development of 1.2 gigawatts of nuclear energy in Southern Ohio, supporting Meta’s operations in the region, including our AI supercluster in New Albany. This project will create jobs, spur local innovation, and advance American leadership in energy technology.” This statement underscores the multifaceted impact anticipated from the initiative, encompassing employment generation, technological progress, and national leadership in energy advancements.
Following the announcement, Oklo’s shares rose markedly, trading at $115.40 in premarket hours, up 18.24%, reflecting investor optimism about the company’s growth trajectory tied to this collaboration.
As Meta continues to expand its data processing capabilities, particularly with AI-driven projects requiring massive computational resources and reliable energy sources, securing dedicated clean power generation capacity is increasingly strategic. Partnering with specialized nuclear energy developers like Oklo positions Meta to sustainably manage its electricity demands amid intensifying scrutiny on environmental impacts and operational resilience.
Oklo’s development timeline, financial arrangements, and project scale collectively illustrate an innovative model combining private sector capital deployment with large technology consumers’ strategic energy sourcing. By advancing construction in stages, the project balances near-term feasibility with long-term scalability, fostering a measured approach to integrating advanced nuclear power into regional energy markets.
In summary, this partnership marks a significant step toward integrating clean nuclear energy into critical technology infrastructure, reflecting broader industry trends toward sustainable, reliable, and self-determined energy solutions for large-scale data center operations.