Oklo Inc.’s Groves Isotope Test Reactor in Texas has achieved first criticality, reaching a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction at low power. The privately financed reactor went from groundbreaking to criticality in under a year, an exceptionally fast pace for nuclear development. The US Department of Energy authorized startup on July 23, 2026 under its Reactor Pilot Program, which aims to deploy advanced reactors outside the traditional national laboratory system. The pool-type, water-cooled reactor uses commercially sourced low-enriched uranium fuel and is located in Caldwell County. While not a power plant, the facility is designed for medical isotope production and to generate operational data for Oklo’s planned commercial-scale reactors; the company is listed on the NYSE under the ticker OKLO.
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