Sept 25 (Reuters) - Nuclear startup Oklo ( OKLO ) said

on Wednesday that it has finalized an agreement with the U.S.

Department of Energy for carrying out site investigations

related to the company's proposed small nuclear reactor in

Idaho.

The company, backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is aiming to

develop its first small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) by 2027.

The deal marks a key step towards construction and would

help Oklo ( OKLO ) focus on geotechnical assessments, environmental

surveys, and infrastructure planning, the company said.

After decades of stagnation, nuclear energy has garnered

renewed interest in recent times as a clean source of power amid

a worldwide push towards net-zero carbon emissions.

U.S. utilities are striking up deals with tech heavyweights

like Microsoft and Amazon to supply electricity from nuclear

plants for power-hungry data centers.

Oklo ( OKLO ), which went public in May through a merger with

Altman's blank-check firm, still needs a permit from the Nuclear

Regulatory Commission for the proposed plant.

The regulator had denied Oklo's ( OKLO ) application for a combined

construction and operation license in 2022.