Amazon has shifted its Maryland energy strategy after abandoning plans for a massive data-center campus beside the Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant, signing a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy that will support more than $3 billion in infrastructure investment and add approximately 190 megawatts of nuclear generating capacity between 2030 and 2032. The additional electricity—enough to power roughly 147,000 homes—will flow into the regional PJM grid rather than directly to an Amazon facility, while the broader agreement covers 690 megawatts of power and provides Constellation with greater financial certainty as it seeks to relicense Maryland’s only nuclear plant for another 20 years. Amazon withdrew its proposed Calvert Technology Center in August after significant local opposition to data-center development, but the new arrangement keeps the company involved at Calvert Cliffs without constructing the controversial campus. The companies are also considering advanced nuclear development, including small modular reactors, as Amazon and other technology companies seek dependable around-the-clock electricity for rapidly expanding artificial-intelligence and cloud-computing infrastructure.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon’s 20-year agreement with Constellation will support more than $3 billion in upgrades at the 1,790-megawatt Calvert Cliffs facility and approximately 190 megawatts of additional nuclear generation scheduled to come online between 2030 and 2032.
- Unlike the abandoned plan to locate an enormous Amazon data-center campus beside the nuclear facility, electricity from Calvert Cliffs will continue flowing into the regional grid, while Amazon’s agreement covers 690 megawatts and includes a separate arrangement supporting its operations throughout the 13-state PJM market.
- The deal illustrates a broader revival of nuclear power driven partly by AI’s enormous electricity requirements, while giving Constellation additional financial certainty to pursue a 20-year license extension and potentially develop advanced reactors at Calvert Cliffs.
In-Depth
Amazon’s retreat from a controversial Maryland data-center project has not ended its interest in the nuclear power plant that made the location attractive. Instead, the company has adopted an approach that could strengthen Maryland’s electrical grid while avoiding many of the local concerns surrounding hyperscale data centers.
Under a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy, Amazon will help support more than $3 billion in investment at Calvert Cliffs, Maryland’s only nuclear plant. Approximately 190 megawatts of additional generating capacity is expected between 2030 and 2032. Importantly, that electricity will enter the regional grid rather than being dedicated exclusively to Amazon.
The arrangement represents a potentially significant model for accommodating AI’s extraordinary appetite for electricity. Rather than simply competing with households and businesses for existing generation, technology companies can use long-term purchasing commitments to make investments in additional reliable generation economically feasible. Amazon’s commitment also gives Constellation greater certainty as it considers relicensing Calvert Cliffs for another 20 years.
The contrast with Amazon’s abandoned data-center proposal is important. The company had contemplated more than two million square feet of data-center development adjacent to Calvert Cliffs before withdrawing the plan amid substantial local resistance.
Private investment in additional nuclear generation offers a different path. America’s AI ambitions will require enormous quantities of dependable electricity, and nuclear power provides continuous generation without depending on weather conditions. If technology companies are going to create unprecedented demand, encouraging them to finance additional generating capacity rather than simply consuming existing supply represents a market-oriented response to one of AI’s largest infrastructure challenges.
Sources
- https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/amazon-tries-to-boost-nuclear-power-in-maryland-after-scrapping-data-center-deal-d551385e
- https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/constellation-amazon-sign-20-year-power-deal-support-maryland-nuclear-plant-2026-09-30/
- https://investors.constellationenergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/constellation-and-amazon-announce-20-year-power-purchase
- https://marylandmatters.org/2026/09/30/calvert-cliffs-power-purchase-amazon/
- https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/aws-pulls-out-of-planned-data-center-campus-next-to-maryland-nuclear-plant/