Amazon Signs Deal with Constellation Energy to Expand Maryland Nuclear Plant
nashnova research
Amazon signed a 20-year deal with Constellation Energy to add 190 MW of capacity at Maryland's Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant and lock in up to 690 MW of long-term nuclear supply — its first bet on upgrading an existing reactor rather than building from scratch.
What does this deal actually buy?
Amazon backs a capacity expansion at Calvert Cliffs, adding 190 MW to the regional grid — enough to power roughly 147,000 homes.
In return, Constellation will supply Amazon with up to 690 MW of power over 20 years, backed by more than $3 billion in investment.
This means → Amazon didn't buy a plant; it locked in a stable, zero-carbon power pipeline through a long-term contract.
Why upgrade an old plant instead of building new?
This is Amazon's first "uprate" project — boosting output from an existing reactor rather than constructing a new one from the ground up.
Amazon had planned a data-center campus next to Calvert Cliffs but dropped it last month after local community opposition. The uprate is the fallback.
In plain terms = if you can't build the data center next door, make the plant itself bigger and pipe the power out anyway.
How much life does this old plant have left?
Calvert Cliffs has two reactors with a combined 1,790 MW capacity, powering over 1.3 million homes, but both came online in the 1970s.
Constellation executive David Dardis said the 20-year contract helps secure the plant's future — one reactor faces a license renewal in 2034, the other in 2036.
This means → Amazon's financial commitment effectively extends the retirement timeline for a half-century-old facility.
How big is Amazon's nuclear footprint now?
The company already has a power-purchase agreement with Talen Energy at Pennsylvania's Susquehanna plant and is funding an SMR — small modular reactor, a compact next-gen design expected to cost less and build faster — project in Washington State.
Amazon has also invested in X-energy, a reactor developer that went public this year, and is its customer.
This reflects a two-track strategy: grab power now by upgrading old plants, and bet long on next-generation nuclear tech.
Why are Big Tech companies all rushing toward nuclear?
Microsoft signed a 20-year deal with Constellation to restart an undamaged reactor at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island; Google partnered with NextEra to restart Iowa's Duane Arnold Energy Center by early 2029.
Nuclear power had been in long decline since the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. The explosive electricity demand from data centers is driving its comeback.
In plain terms = the more power AI consumes, the more tech companies need a source that runs 24/7 and emits zero carbon — nuclear checks both boxes.
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