LUSBY, Md. — Constellation announced a long-range proposal on Nov. 4 to invest in up to 5,800 megawatts of power generation and battery storage projects in Maryland. According to the company’s release, the goal is to “meet rising demand for electricity, lower utility bills and usher in the next generation of clean and lower-carbon energy resources to power the state’s economic growth.”
The company proposed several projects as part of the state’s effort to fast-track innovative energy investments. Short-term projects include 1,500 megawatts of fast-track initiatives that could help address near-term needs, including battery storage and natural gas-powered solutions. Calvert Cliffs is part of the long-term proposal, as per the release:
- Extending the life of the Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center: Relicensing the state’s only nuclear plant to operate for another 20 years would preserve nearly 2,000 megawatts of clean generation that serves more than 1.3 million homes. Absent the license extension, the plant’s two units would shut down in 2034 and 2036, respectively.
- Investing in uprates to increase output: With new equipment and technology, Constellation can increase the output of Calvert Cliffs by 10 percent, or 190 megawatts, which is more than all the existing wind and solar generation in Maryland.
- New advanced nuclear units: Constellation will explore building 2,000 megawatts of new, next-generation nuclear at Calvert Cliffs, effectively doubling the site’s output and creating enough clean generation to power future economic growth.
Calvert Cliffs recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. It’s the only nuclear power plant in Maryland and provides energy to 1.3 million homes. Constellation advocates that expanding the services and abilities of the Calvert Cliffs facility will help fill the gaps in Maryland’s energy demands and meet the state’s ambitious climate goals. Nuclear energy is considered clean energy, and more nuclear energy programs are supported by a variety of groups.
The proposal also includes ways to make the energy market more competitive, which will, in theory, lower the cost for consumers.
“What is clear to us is that we must build and retain resources that produce abundant, reliable and clean power. The best way we know to do that is to make state-of-the-art investments in our state’s existing nuclear, hydroelectric and renewable energy resources to get them to operate better and longer, and then to build on top of that great foundation,” said Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez.
You can read the full proposal here.
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