Amazon is looking to establish a data center campus next to a nuclear plant in Calvert County, Maryland. The company has presented a potential data center development during a recent open house meeting. However, no formal proposal has been submitted. Nonetheless, the project will be worked on with Constellation Energy. The site is near Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant at 1650 Calvert Cliffs Parkway.

So far, Amazon has conducted preliminary review work and regulatory analysis. It has also completed evaluation and early design concepts. Despite this, it is yet to submit any hard plans for the project. Based on the concept designs shared by the client company during the meeting, the campus could have up to eight data centers. They will be located to the south and west area of the nuclear plant. The property is already zoned for heavy industry use, and would not need to be rezoned for the project to proceed. Other than Maryland, other data centers are also taking shape such as the Texas Critical Data Centers (TCDC) campus in West Texas.

Outlook on the Amazon Data Center Campus in Maryland

Despite the Amazon data center campus in Maryland finishing up on early design concepts, some aspects remain mystic. Details about the size of the buildings or expected IT capacity have not been shared. Furthermore, it is unclear if the facilities would have a behind-the-meter connection to the nuclear plant. AWS previously announced plans to expand its U.S. East cloud region into Maryland.

The cloud giant is also set to land its US-Ireland subsea cable, Fastnet, in the state. While AWS has presented on the possibility of developing the site near the power plant in Calvert County, it is not alone in its interest. The Calvert County website also notes that real estate firm Natelli Holdings is interested in developing on land south of the potential AWS campus. Particularly at 10475, 10485, & 10495 Solomons Island Road. Furthermore, the attached presentation suggests a four-building campus could be developed at the site, for which Natelli would commit $30 million in investment. A meeting to discuss the project further will be held on April 6.

Opposition on Proposed Data Center Campuses

The response of prospect data center developments in the area has not necessarily been positive. the start of March, during a separate planning commission meeting, commissioner Mike Hart made a motion to put in place an immediate 24-month moratorium. The moratorium would apply to “any approvals, permits, rezoning, plans, construction, authorizations, or any other official acts related to a data center development, until a comprehensive environmental study evaluating land, water, and air impacts is completed and formally presented to the public.” Local residents also voiced concerns about the lack of transparency up to that point. They also noted the lack of opportunity for public input. Others told the meeting that development was necessary for the economic wellbeing of the area in future years.

Project Overview

• Project Type: Data center campus
• Developer: Amazon
• Purpose: Cloud and AI infrastructure
• Status: Early-stage / concept

Key Stakeholders

• Developer: Amazon
• Energy Partner: Constellation Energy
• Nearby Asset: Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant
• Other Interested Party: Natelli Holdings

Location

• Site: Calvert County, Maryland
• Address: 1650 Calvert Cliffs Parkway
• Country: United States

Scope

• Up to 8 data center buildings
• Located near nuclear plant
• Heavy industrial zoned land
• Early design concepts completed

Funding / Delivery Model

• Privately developed (Amazon)
• Potential energy partnership structure
• No formal investment decision yet

Status

• Stage: Concept / pre-planning
• Progress: Studies and early designs done
• Next: Proposal submission, approvals

Key Risks & Challenges

• Community opposition
• Possible moratorium on data centers
• Regulatory/environmental reviews
• Limited project transparency

Strategic Significance

• Aligns compute with baseload nuclear power
• Expands Amazon U.S. East footprint
• Reflects energy-driven site selection
• Highlights growing public resistance Bottom of Form