Amazon Signs 20-Year Nuclear Deal for 190 MW Expansion

Amazon has signed a 20-year power agreement with Constellation Energy covering 690 MW from Maryland's Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant, supporting more than $3 billion of investment and approximately 190 MW of additional generating capacity. The new capacity is expected to come online between 2030 and 2032, while a separate retail supply agreement will cover Amazon facilities across the 13-state PJM electricity market. Calvert Cliffs currently has 1,790 MW of capacity and produces around 80 percent of Maryland's clean electricity.

 

The Deal Adds Nuclear Capacity Without Building a New Reactor

 

The 190 MW expansion will come through an uprate, increasing the output of the two existing reactors rather than constructing another nuclear unit. For Amazon, this is its first agreement to support this type of expansion at an operating nuclear plant, giving the company access to additional carbon-free electricity without waiting for a completely new reactor project to be developed.

The distinction matters because new nuclear plants can take many years to permit, finance and build. An uprate uses an existing site and operating infrastructure to increase generation, although the additional capacity will still take several years to complete. Constellation expects the new output to enter service in stages between 2030 and 2032.

 

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All Calvert Cliffs Power Will Continue Flowing Into the Grid

 

The structure is also different from a co-located data centre arrangement where electricity is supplied directly from a power plant to a nearby computing facility. Amazon had considered developing a data centre campus beside Calvert Cliffs but abandoned those plans following local opposition, according to the source report.

Under the new agreement, electricity generated at Calvert Cliffs will continue to enter the PJM regional grid. Amazon will support the economics of the plant through its long-term purchase commitment while meeting its regional electricity needs through the wider power system, allowing the additional generation to remain available to the grid rather than being physically separated for a dedicated data centre.

 

A 20-Year Contract Gives Constellation Revenue Certainty

 

The agreement covers 690 MW, including the planned 190 MW increase in generating capacity. That long-term commitment gives Constellation greater certainty over future revenue as it prepares for major investment across the Calvert Cliffs site.

The company said Amazon's commitment will also support efforts to renew the operating licences of the two reactors for another 20 years. Their current licences are due for review in 2034 and 2036, making the PPA relevant not only to the planned uprate but also to the longer-term operation of an existing nuclear asset that currently generates enough electricity to serve the equivalent of more than 1.3 million homes.

 

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Amazon Is Building a Wider Nuclear Energy Portfolio

 

Calvert Cliffs is part of a broader push by Amazon into nuclear power as electricity demand from data centres continues to grow. The company already has a power agreement linked to Talen Energy's Susquehanna nuclear plant in Pennsylvania and has invested in the development of small modular reactor technology in Washington state.

Amazon and Constellation are also exploring whether advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors, could eventually be developed at Calvert Cliffs. For now, however, the immediate investment is focused on extracting more generation from the existing plant, giving Amazon another route to secure long-term carbon-free power while new nuclear technologies remain under development.

 

The 2030 to 2032 Expansion Will Test the Uprate Model

 

The first measure of the agreement will be whether Constellation can deliver the additional 190 MW on the planned 2030 to 2032 timetable while progressing the wider investment programme and reactor licence renewals. The deal gives the company a long-term customer for part of the plant's output, but the physical expansion still depends on completing the upgrades needed to increase generation.

If successful, Calvert Cliffs could provide another model for large electricity users looking for additional nuclear power without financing an entirely new plant. The approach combines long-term corporate demand with investment in existing nuclear infrastructure, while keeping the resulting electricity within the regional grid.