Oklo says DOE cleared Groves-1 for unrestricted operations

Oklo said on Nov. 11, 2026 that the Department of Energy cleared the final operations hold point for the Groves-1 isotope test reactor in Lockhart, Texas, allowing unrestricted operations and a shift into research, testing, and training. The company said the reactor, which reached low-power criticality in August under the Reactor Pilot Program, will support control-rod tests, criticality benchmarking, and training for later isotope and Aurora projects. No separate DOE release confirming the Nov. 11 clearance was opened, and the announcement does not say Groves-1 has started isotope production.