Baltimore-based US power utility Constellation has announced a long-range proposal to invest in up to 5,800 MWe of power generation and battery storage projects in Maryland. To meet the state’s near-term needs, Constellation submitted battery storage and gas generation proposals to the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) as part of a state programme to fast-track permits for large-scale energy projects. Longer term, the company has proposed a range of new and existing nuclear investments, including a plan to work with state leaders to explore building new NPPs in Maryland.

With respect to near-term projects, Constellation President & CEO Joe Dominguez, said: “Constellation hopes to be a thought partner as Governor Moore and other policymakers consider the state’s many choices.… We believe that natural gas generation should be an option, but there are pros and cons to consider and, quite naturally, we do not want to build what our state does not want. Therefore, our plan presents natural gas generation as one of a number of options, with an explanation of the utility work that will be needed to secure this option.”

He added: “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…. Constellation has extended the lives of our wind assets for another 20 years, and we are working with willing customers to support the relicensing of the Calvert Cliffs clean nuclear plant.”

He said Constellation was “excited to work with Governor Moore, other state policymakers, and all Maryland stakeholders to investigate the development of new nuclear power in our state just as dozens of states across America are doing today”. He noted: “Importantly, all our investments have been and will be done without any cost to Maryland families and businesses. We are not now and never will be a monopoly that seeks guaranteed profits.”

The full plan starts with more than 1,500 megawatts of fast-track projects that could help address near-term needs, including up to 800 MWe of battery storage capacity and more than 700 MWe (six units) of existing gas-fired power generators that could be rapidly deployed in Maryland and later converted to operate on hydrogen fuel. Constellation’s proposed options also include the potential for extending the operational usefulness of over 350 MWe of existing Maryland power plants that are called upon during times of peak energy usage.

Longer term, the company has proposed potential investments in up to 4,000 MWe of new and existing nuclear projects. These include:

  • Extending the life of the Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Centre: Relicensing the state’s only NPP to operate for another 20 years would preserve nearly 2,000 MWe of generation that serves more than 1.3m homes. Without licence extension, the plant’s two units would shut down in 2034 and 2036. The two pressurised water reactors (PWRs) rated at 863 MWe and 855 MWe were commissioned in 1975 and 1977.
  • Investing in uprates to increase output: With new equipment and technology, Constellation can increase the output of Calvert Cliffs by 10%, or 190 MWe, which is more than all the existing wind and solar generation in Maryland.
  • New advanced nuclear units: Constellation will explore building 2,000 MWe of new, next-generation nuclear at Calvert Cliffs, effectively doubling the site’s output.

In addition to investments in new generation, Constellation seeks the to make better use of the energy resources already available in the region by working with large businesses to lower their consumption during peak times, helping to free up capacity for new energy users, relieve strain on the grid and lower overall costs. Constellation plans to make these “demand response” programmes more impactful by using AI to create a 1,000 MWe “virtual power plant” on the regional grid.

The Calvert Cliffs NPP is located on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay near Lusby in Calvert County, Maryland. It generates approximately 40% of Maryland’s total power and a significant majority (around 87%) of the state’s clean energy. In February 2009, Calvert Cliffs set a world record for PWRs by operating 692 days non-stop. In 2008, unit 2’s capacity factor was a world-record high of 101.37%.

Besides Calvert Cliffs, other Constellation power facilities in Maryland are the Conowingo Dam, the Perryman natural gas plant in Aberdeen, the Philadelphia Road oil plant in Baltimore and three wind farms in Western Maryland.

Previous efforts to build a third reactor at Calvert Cliffs came to nothing. Constructing a new, large-scale reactor would take “maybe 10 years from start to finish” said Mason Emnett, Constellation’s Senior Vice President for Public Policy.

Emnett said adding a third nuclear reactor to Calvert Cliffs would probably cost around $10bn. A small modular reactor (SMR) might reduce this by several billion. Making technological upgrades, which could boost output by 10%, would probably cost around $1bn.

Constellation is looking to the companies that operate data centres, for support. Emnett said Constellation is in talks with large-load customers who could sponsor upgrades at Calvert Cliffs or other sites, in exchange for pulling power from those sites. He said such an agreement could provide Constellation with the confidence to apply for a new 20-year licence for Calvert Cliffs.

“We talk to customers about risk-sharing arrangements, but from the customer’s perspective, it’s difficult to bear a lot of that development risk when that’s not their expertise,” Emnett said. “They’re not power developers.” He suggested that state officials could take steps to back nuclear and encourage Constellation to keep operating the facility or grow its footprint.