LUSBY, Md. — Tucked away in a massive, sleek building on the banks of the Chesapeake, two nuclear reactors work around the clock providing enough carbon-free electricity to power 1.3 million Maryland homes — about 40% of energy statewide.
The Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center opened in 1975 and recently celebrated its 50th year of operation. The site is home to two reactors; Unit 1 opened in 1975, and Unit 2 followed in 1977. According to the 2024 fact sheet, the facility covers 1,500 acres, employs 747 people and paid $22.9 million in property taxes. Constellation Energy, a Baltimore-based energy company with 100% ownership, maintains on its website that the longevity of the plant is due to its commitment to community and safety first. Constellation also plans to spend about $100 million on upgrades to the plant, starting in the 2030s.
Nuclear energy is produced by splitting uranium atoms. This process, called fission, creates enough heat to produce steam. The steam then spins the turbines used to generate electricity. It produces little to no carbon emissions, unlike fossil fuels — the electric power industry is still powered primarily by natural gas and accounts for about 33% of all carbon emissions in the U.S.
Once touted as a savior in clean energy, nuclear power saw an industry boom between 1958 and 1979 and then tapered off after the infamous accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. At the time of that incident, both reactors at the Calvert Cliffs facility were already in operation and working smoothly.
Well-known incidents like Three Mile Island soured public opinion on nuclear energy, but experts say it’s our best bet at producing clean, efficient energy. Fission produces more energy at smaller rates than burning fossil fuels, so while uranium is not a renewable resource like solar power, it does require much less raw matter to produce the same level of energy. So while nuclear energy isn’t necessarily “clean,” it is carbon-free, which is a huge win for environmental advocates — and anyone who breathes air. The largest environmental footprint for nuclear energy actually comes from the initial creation and launching of new facilities, making Calvert Cliffs’ continued success all the more important.
Critics of nuclear energy worry about the dangers of radioactive waste and environmental impacts. For Calvert Cliffs, these concerns are especially relevant: people’s homes and jobs depend on the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding ecosystem. However, Calvert Cliffs has an exceptional safety record, and environmental advocates support its continued operation.
Brittany Baker, Maryland director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said that nuclear energy is an integral part of the transition to carbon-free, and that the organization supports expanding Maryland’s nuclear energy portfolio.
As for safety concerns about nuclear power, she said, “It’s always important to consider safety as we consider building out energy infrastructure. Remember, people are losing their lives to methane gas and gas explosions way more than us seeing any sort of nuclear incident in Maryland.” She also noted that Maryland has never had a major safety incident with nuclear energy.
Leaders at Constellation are confident about the safety measures they’ve put in place and emphasize that safety has come a long way since the ’70s — it includes emergency plans, for example.
Currently, nuclear power provides about 20% of the nation’s energy. People from multiple sectors — environmental advocacy, government and industry — support expanding it and looking for ways to help the existing facility provide more energy to Maryland. For now, the Calvert plant is one of 53 nuclear power plants across the U.S., serving as a beacon for the future of nuclear power.
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