Oklo Achieves Historic Nuclear Milestone | Austin News

Oklo’s Groves reactor in Lockhart, Texas, just hit a major milestone—achieving criticality, marking the first privately funded nuclear reactor in the U.S. to reach this stage under the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program. Built in under a year, it’s not for power but as a testbed to refine technology, safety, and operations ahead of future commercial isotope plants. These isotopes are vital for medical treatments, cancer therapies, advanced manufacturing, and even space exploration. CEO Jacob DeWitte calls it a historic breakthrough—the fastest-built private reactor ever—and underscores the urgent need for domestic production. The Groves facility will now undergo startup testing, laying the blueprint for Oklo’s larger isotope production campus, setting the stage for transformative advances in healthcare and tech. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/2468b3ea96e307c5