Meta Funds Nuclear Fuel Deal to Power Future Ohio Data Centers

2026-11-13 companies

Piketon, Thursday, 12 November 2026.
Backed by Meta prepayments, Oklo secured critical uranium supplies from Centrus Energy starting in 2029, locking in domestic fuel to power up to five commercial reactors in Ohio.

Oklo and Centrus Finalize Groundbreaking Nuclear Fuel Agreement

Advanced nuclear technology firm Oklo Inc. (NYSE: OKLO) has formally inked multiple definitive, multi-year supply contracts with Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE: LEU) for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) [1][2][4][5][8]. The agreements, announced on 12 November 2026, secure a domestic fuel supply chain for Oklo’s commercial Aurora Powerhouse deployment in Pike County, Ohio [1][2][4][5][8]. These contracts formalize a June 2026 letter of intent between the two companies, marking a significant step toward commercializing next-generation small modular reactors (SMRs) [1][2][4][5][8]. Oklo’s planned 1.2 gigawatt (GW) power campus in southern Ohio will initially be powered by up to five Aurora powerhouses, with fuel deliveries from Centrus’s American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio, scheduled to begin in 2029 [1][2][4][5][8].

Meta’s Strategic Prepayments Catalyze Nuclear Supply Chain

The fuel supply agreements are financially underpinned by prepayments from Meta Platforms, Inc., which will power the first phase of Oklo’s Ohio campus [1][2][4][5][8]. Meta’s involvement signals a broader trend in which hyperscale data center operators are seeking clean, reliable, and domestically sourced energy solutions to meet surging electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence workloads and industrial electrification [GPT]. According to industry analysts, data centers consumed approximately 1.5% of global electricity in 2026, with projections indicating this could rise to 3–4% by 2030 [alert! ‘exact percentage varies by region; cited range reflects broad consensus’]. Oklo’s HALEU supply ensures not only initial deployments in Ohio but also future refueling of its Aurora powerhouse in Idaho [1][2][4][5][8].

Centrus’ $5.4 Billion Commitment Signals Industry Expansion

Centrus Energy has secured $5.4 billion in customer contracts and commitments for low-enriched uranium (LEU) and HALEU from its new enrichment capacity, a milestone highlighted in multiple corporate filings and statements [2][3][5][8][9]. The company recently completed and began shipping its first new centrifuge from its Oak Ridge facility to Ohio, with the first new capacity expected to come online by 2029 [9]. Amir Vexler, President and CEO of Centrus, emphasized that the definitive agreements demonstrate the company’s readiness to meet commercial demand for HALEU, a critical fuel for advanced reactors [1][2][4][5][8]. The partnership with Oklo, supported by Meta’s prepayments, will help fund the expansion of Centrus’s American Centrifuge technology, restoring domestic uranium enrichment leadership [1][2][4][5][8].

Oklo’s Commercial Roadmap and Regulatory Path Forward

Oklo’s first Aurora powerhouse in Idaho is already allocated recovered Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) fuel, but the Ohio campus represents a strategic expansion into commercial deployment [1][2][4][5][8]. The company received its first site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission [2]. Jacob DeWitte, Oklo’s CEO and co-founder, stated that securing fuel is essential to scaling the company’s power business beyond its first reactor, with the Ohio agreements supporting initial deployments and future Aurora powerhouses [1][2][4][5][8]. However, Oklo’s filings note ongoing operational risks tied to regulatory approvals from the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as financing and fuel fabrication capacity [2][5].

Sources

nuclear energy small modular reactors