Why Is OKLO Stock Rising Today?

• The firm said it will lead the program in partnership with newcleo, a European developer of advanced nuclear reactors.
• The program can transform a long-term material management challenge into a homegrown energy source. 
• Oklo's CEO stated that the program creates a pathway to use existing surplus material as bridge fuel for advanced reactors, bringing more reactors online sooner.

Shares of Oklo Inc. (OKLO) rose over 8% on Tuesday morning after the company announced that the U.S. Department of Energy has selected it for advanced negotiations under the Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program.

Oklo stated that the program aims to make designated surplus plutonium material available to industry participants and enable its conversion into fuel for advanced nuclear reactors, subject to U.S. security, safeguards, and material accountability requirements

The U.S. has been facing a nuclear fuel shortage at a time when the power demand is surging, driven in large part by increased power consumption from AI data centers. The industry has been revamping to develop new nuclear reactors, such as small modular reactors and advanced fast-spectrum designs, to bridge the supply gap and meet power demand.

Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program

Oklo has been selected for the program along with four other companies. The firm noted that this selection helps its broader fuel strategy, which includes multiple ways to source fuel for its advanced reactor deployment, as domestic enrichment and fuel infrastructure continue to scale.

“This program creates a pathway to use existing surplus material as bridge fuel for advanced reactors to bring more reactors online sooner. Material that has been set aside for disposal can instead be converted into fuel to produce electricity through fission,” said Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Oklo.

The OKLO-newcleo Partnership Deepens

The firm noted that, in partnership with newcleo, a European developer of advanced nuclear reactors, it would lead the utilization of surplus plutonium, while newcleo would bring capital and fuel experience required for the project.

Oklo and newcleo view the program as a "disposition through use" play, taking, converting existing material that already exists into fuel for advanced reactors, generating electricity, and ultimately consuming it through fission under strict security and safeguards protocols. 

In doing so, the program can transform a long-term material management challenge into a homegrown energy source.

In October 2025, a strategic partnership between Oklo and newcleo was formed to develop advanced fuel-fabrication infrastructure in the U.S., including potential work on surplus plutonium. That deal includes an investment of up to $2 billion from a newcleo-affiliated vehicle, subject to mutually acceptable documentation and industry conditions. 

In February 2026, newcleo initiated pre-application engagement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for both an advanced fuel fabrication facility and a lead-cooled fast reactor design in the U.S. market.

What Retail Thinks Of OKLO

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment surrounding the stock has remained ‘neutral’ amid ‘low‘ message volumes over the past 24 hours.

Shares of  Oklo have declined over 15% so far this year.

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