Amazon deal will enable $3 billion Calvert Cliffs investment, power data centers
Amazon agreed to purchase 690 megawatts of electricity from Constellation's Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant under a 20-year deal that will support a planned $3 billion investment and potential relicensing. The agreement does not include a data center at the plant, but it has raised concerns among Calvert County residents and officials following opposition to Amazon's withdrawn data center proposal and the county's six-month moratorium on data center approvals.
Amazon and Baltimore-based Constellation announced a 20-year power purchase agreement covering 690 megawatts from the Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant in Lusby. The deal is expected to support Constellation's $3 billion investment, a 190-megawatt capacity upgrade and efforts to extend the plant's operation for another 20 years. The companies will also examine the possibility of developing small modular reactors, although discussions remain preliminary.
The agreement will supply Amazon facilities through the PJM regional grid rather than providing power to a data center at Calvert Cliffs. Amazon Data Services withdrew an earlier data center concept for the site after strong local opposition, and the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners subsequently approved a six-month moratorium on data center site-plan approvals. County officials said they are seeking more information about the new announcement, while activist Ethan Cox called for greater transparency and raised concerns about community and environmental impacts.