Oklo and Switch Seal Deal for 12 GW of Advanced Nuclear Power

Oklo, a California-based nuclear technology company, has signed a non-binding master power agreement with Switch, a provider of AI, cloud and enterprise data centre infrastructure. This is to deploy 12 gigawatts of advanced nuclear power through 2044. 

The deal is among the largest corporate clean energy agreements ever, aligning both companies’ focus on sustainable energy and decarbonisation. 

Under the agreement, Oklo will develop and operate Aurora powerhouses, supplying clean energy to Switch’s data centres across the United States. The latter plans to use the power to meet growing energy demands in AI and other technology sectors.

“This agreement ensures we maintain leadership in data centre sustainability while delivering energy abundance for our clients,” said Rob Roy, founder and CEO of Switch. 

Oklo sees the collaboration as pivotal to scaling its technology. “This partnership reflects a shared vision for energy abundance and the role of nuclear power in supporting AI,” said Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo.

Rise in AI Data Centre Demand

As data centres’ energy demands rise, small modular reactors are a critical step towards clean, sustainable data centres powered by safe nuclear energy.

In April this year, Oklo also signed a pre-agreement with Equinix, the world’s largest data centre colocation provider, to purchase nuclear energy for a $25 million prepayment. “A normal data centre needs 32 megawatts of power flowing into the building. For an AI data centre, it’s 80 megawatts,” said Chris Sharp, CTO at Digital Realty, a US data centre giant.

Since 2016, Switch has claimed to power its data centres with 100% renewable energy. This agreement furthers its efforts to integrate clean energy solutions into its operations while addressing growing energy needs.

Regardless, this raises doubts about the cost-efficiency segment of running a data centre fully equipped with renewable energy.

Oklo’s Aurora powerhouses aim to provide a flexible pathway to clean, reliable, and affordable energy. The agreement also allows Oklo to refine its financial and infrastructure models, setting a precedent for future projects. 

Oklo and Switch expect the collaboration to accelerate clean energy adoption across industries, wanting to highlight the scalability of advanced nuclear power to meet global energy demands.