Aalo-X Gets the Approval to Turn On the Aalo-X Critical Test Reactor Secretary Chris Wright Signs the Critical Notice – A Landmark Milestone for U.S. Advanced Nuclear and AI Power

In a powerful symbol of America’s accelerating nuclear renaissance, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited the Aalo-X campus next to Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on June 25, 2026, and signed the final authorization allowing Aalo Atomics to turn on its Aalo-X Critical Test Reactor (CTR).

This marks the final regulatory step before fuel loading and startup. It authorizes Aalo to handle and use nuclear material while ensuring “adequate protection of workers, the public, and the environment.”As Aalo Atomics announced on X: “Today at the Aalo-X campus, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright signed the approval to turn on the Aalo-X Critical Test Reactor (CTR). This is the final regulatory step to enable reactor start-up. We thank DOE-ID and INL for their instrumental support.”

What Is the Aalo-X Critical Test Reactor?

The Aalo-X CTR is a full-scale prototype of the company’s 10 MWe (≈30 MWth) Aalo-1 microreactor. It is a sodium-cooled thermal-spectrum reactor using low-enriched uranium dioxide (UO₂ LEU) fuel and graphite as moderator.

Key features include:

• Low-pressure sodium coolant enabling passive safety (natural circulation, air-cooled decay heat removal, inherent negative reactivity feedback).
• Factory-fabricated modular construction using Steel-Concrete Composite (SC) modules.
• Designed to validate neutronics, materials performance, sodium systems, control rods, heat exchangers, and integration with a co-located data center.
• Located on DOE land at INL → authorized under the DOE framework (faster and more flexible than traditional NRC licensing for this experimental phase).

Success here will generate critical empirical data (physics, materials, operations) that directly support future NRC licensing of commercial Aalo Pods — 50 MWe plants built from five factory-made Aalo-1 modules, purpose-built for hyperscale data centers.

Rapid Rise: From Founding to Final Approval in Under 3 Years

Aalo Atomics was founded in 2023 in Austin, Texas, with a clear mission: mass-manufactured nuclear plants delivering electricity at under 3¢/kWh to power data centers and cities.

• Key milestones:2023: Company founded; leadership recruited from MARVEL program and industry (Tesla, SpaceX, etc.).
• 2024: DOE site granted at INL; Environmental Assessment completed; pilot factory opened in Austin.
• March 19, 2026: Unveiled completed Aalo-X Critical Test Reactor facility — the first new reactor built at INL in ~50 years.
• April 30, 2026: DOE-Idaho approved the Documented Safety Analysis (DSA) — one of the most rigorous gates in the DOE process.
• June 25, 2026: Secretary Wright signs final startup authorization.

This puts Aalo on track for criticality before the July 4, 2026, deadline set under the DOE’s Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program.

Part of a Historic Wave: Three Advanced Reactors Critical by July 4

Aalo-X is the third advanced (non-light-water) reactor to reach this stage under the DOE Pilot Program:

• June 4, 2026: Antares Nuclear’s Mark-0 (sodium heat-pipe microreactor) achieved criticality at INL.
• June 18, 2026: Valar Atomics’ Ward 250 (high-temperature gas reactor) reached zero-power criticality in Utah.
• June 25, 2026: Aalo receives final approval to turn on.

Secretary Wright has publicly highlighted these achievements as proof that President Trump’s aggressive nuclear goals are being met.

What This Means for Investors

This approval is a major de-risking event:

• Technology validation moves from paper/design to real nuclear operations.
• DSA + startup authorization demonstrates Aalo can design, build, and safely operate a nuclear facility — a huge credibility boost.
• Data from Aalo-X will compress licensing timelines for commercial Aalo-1/Pod deployments.
• Private-sector execution (no ratepayer funding) at this speed is rare and highly attractive to investors.
• Positions Aalo as a leader in factory-built sodium-cooled microreactors optimized for the exploding data-center/AI power demand.
• Broader sector tailwinds: Surging interest in advanced nuclear from hyperscalers, utilities, and policymakers.

While Aalo remains privately held (having raised significant capital, including a reported ~$136M across rounds), milestones like this typically unlock follow-on funding, strategic partnerships, and increase the likelihood of strong exits or growth capital.

What This Means for Consumers and the Broader Energy Picture

For everyday Americans and businesses:

• Reliable, always-on clean power — critical as AI data centers drive massive new electricity demand.
• Long-term potential for lower and more stable electricity prices through abundant, high-capacity-factor nuclear.
• Reduced transmission losses via co-location (reactor + data center on the same site).
• Strengthens U.S. energy independence and supply-chain resilience (domestic fuel, factory manufacturing).
• Creates high-skill jobs in nuclear engineering, manufacturing, construction, and operations.
• Supports decarbonization goals without relying solely on intermittent renewables.

The modular, factory-built approach promises dramatically shorter construction times and more predictable costs compared to traditional large nuclear projects — a game-changer for scaling clean firm power.

The Road Ahead

With final approval secured, Aalo is expected to proceed rapidly to:

• Fuel loading and zero-power criticality testing.
• Power ascension and full operations.
• Integration with a portable data center test load.
• 2027 target: First electricity generation and data-center powering at Aalo-X.

Commercial Aalo Pods and the vision of a “Gigawatt Factory” for mass production are next.

Conclusion

June 25, 2026, will be remembered as a pivotal day in the Second Atomic Age. Secretary Chris Wright’s signature didn’t just authorize one reactor — it validated a faster, private-sector-led pathway for advanced nuclear deployment in the United States. Aalo Atomics has executed with remarkable speed and discipline. The data and operational experience gained here will benefit the entire industry and help power America’s AI-driven future with clean, reliable, affordable energy.

This is genuinely a huge story for the United States. We have reached out to the Department of Energy to interview Secretary Chris Wright again, as well as Matt  Loszak with Aalo-X.