Eastern U.S. power generation owner and operator Constellation is banking on a renewed focus on nuclear energy by investing $100 million into its Calvert Cliffs power plant.
The Maryland facility was built on the shores of Chesapeake Bay in the mid-1970s. The upgrades began this month with the planned outage and refueling at the Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center.
Constellation, formerly the power generation wing of utility holding company Exelon Corp., has renamed many of its nuclear plants as clean energy centers because nuclear reactors generate carbon-free electricity. The U.S. nuclear energy fleet was perceived to be on the decline and bound for numerous retirements until the rise of demand from data centers and reshoring manufacturing inspired a revival in reactor capacity.
The federal General Services Administration early this year allocated close to $1 billion in long-term contracts with Constellation on supplying nuclear energy for the agency.
Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center includes two pressurized water reactors capable of delivering 1,756 MW, which is roughly 40 percent of Maryland’s total power generation and 80 percent of the state’s clean power generation. Throughout the U.S., nuclear power plants account for 19% of utility-scale electricity resource mix.
The 2025 outage schedule includes refurbishment and replacement of pumps, motors, valves and control rod systems, as well as an overhaul of the plant’s 13 KV transformer. Many of the tasks performed during the outage are not achieved, while the unit is online.
Additionally, Constellation is investing $68 million in 24 electrical breakers to upgrade its substation and enable future customer service on the grid. According to preliminary analysis, further upgrades at Calvert Cliffs are anticipated to increase electricity production by roughly 10%, which will produce more carbon-free power as compared to the existing wind and utility-scale solar operating in Maryland.
Calvert Cliffs’ annual Spring outages will bring more than 2,000 electricians, pipefitters, welders, carpenters, laborers, steamfitters and other tradespeople from across the country to perform inspections, tests and maintenance activities, increasing business for local hotels, restaurants, stores and gas stations.
A recent long-term power purchase agreement with Microsoft is also funding the potential restart of Constellation’s Three Mile Island Unit 1, which was closed several years ago. Data centers are reconnecting with nuclear energy providers either through PPAs for conventional utility plants or developing future projects around small modular reactors.
