Oklo (NASDAQ:OKLO) said on Tuesday that it has been chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy for advanced negotiations related to the use of surplus Cold War-era plutonium as fuel for nuclear reactors.
Trump policy shift redirected plutonium disposal strategy
The initiative follows an executive order signed roughly a year ago by Donald Trump, which instructed the U.S. government to halt large portions of its longstanding program focused on diluting and disposing of excess plutonium reserves.
Under the revised policy, the material would instead be repurposed as fuel for advanced nuclear reactor technologies.
U.S. previously outlined plans to release plutonium supplies
According to a Reuters report published last year, the Trump administration planned to make around 20 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium — originating from dismantled Cold War nuclear warheads — available to U.S. energy companies for potential reactor use.
Energy Department advances implementation of new nuclear strategy
The Department of Energy’s decision to begin discussions with Oklo represents a significant step toward implementing the administration’s revised strategy for managing surplus plutonium stockpiles.
The move also highlights growing government support for advanced nuclear technologies and alternative fuel development within the U.S. nuclear energy sector.