How OKLO's NRC Strategy Could Shorten Deployment Timelines

Regulatory execution is emerging as one of the most important gating factors for commercializing advanced nuclear technologies, where licensing timelines often determine whether projects advance or stall. For Oklo Inc. (OKLO), progress with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”) is central to its strategy to deploy fast fission powerhouses at scale. By prioritizing early and structured regulatory engagement, the company is working to reduce uncertainty and create clearer visibility around deployment schedules, a critical differentiator in a capital-intensive and highly regulated industry.

OKLO has elected to pursue a combined license pathway under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 52 rather than the traditional two-step approach used for legacy reactors. This approach integrates construction and operating approvals into a single application, aligning with OKLO’s model of designing, building and operating its own facilities. The submission of the first custom combined license application for an advanced fission reactor establishes an important regulatory precedent, positioning that application as a reference that can be reused to narrow the scope of future reviews.

This approach allows OKLO to reuse key regulatory documents, such as safety and design reports, which can shorten review times for later projects. Progress at the Aurora-INL site supports this effort, with early readiness checks completed and the license application formally under review. OKLO’s passive safety features further ease regulatory review. Together, these steps point to improving regulatory momentum and clearer timelines ahead.

How Nuclear Peers Are Approaching Fuel and Licensing Risk

NuScale Power (SMR) has been deeply involved in the U.S. nuclear regulatory process for many years. SMR worked closely with the NRC to secure design certification and later standard design approval for its small modular reactor. NuScale continues to engage regulators as customers move toward construction and operating licenses. NuScale views regulatory engagement as essential to commercial deployment and long-term credibility.

Meanwhile, NANO Nuclear Energy (NNE) is actively navigating early-stage regulatory pathways for its advanced microreactor designs. NANO Nuclear engages with the NRC through pre-application meetings, topical reports, and fuel qualification reviews. The company has also hired former regulators to guide licensing strategy. NANO Nuclear sees early and ongoing regulatory coordination as critical to reducing risk and supporting future construction permit applications.

The Zacks Rundown on OKLO

Shares of Oklo Inc. have surged nearly 250% so far this year, breezing past the industry's growth.

OKLO currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 2.05 on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell, etc.) made by 19 brokerage firms.

See how the Zacks Consensus Estimate for OKLO’s earnings has been revised over the past 30 days.

The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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