AWS withdraws from planned data center campus near Maryland nuclear plant

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has abandoned plans to develop a large-scale data center campus adjacent to a nuclear power station in Maryland, marking a significant reversal for the cloud provider's expansion strategy in the region.

The company first unveiled its intentions in April to build a data center near the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, located at 1650 Calvert Cliffs Parkway in Lusby, Calvert County. According to documents submitted to county authorities, the project envisioned up to eight buildings encompassing more than 2.46 million square feet (228,540 square meters) of data center space. The campus was expected to deliver around 500MW of capacity, supported by a power supply agreement with Constellation Energy. Local media also reported that the county had been in parallel discussions with Rowan Digital Infrastructure regarding the same site.

This week, the Calvert County Government announced that Amazon Data Services has formally withdrawn its Calvert Technology Center Conceptual Site Development Plan application and "has decided not to pursue the proposed data center project in Calvert County." The announcement effectively ends one of the most closely watched nuclear-powered data center proposals in the mid-Atlantic region.

The withdrawal comes amid growing scrutiny of data center development in Calvert County. Local authorities are currently exploring a potential six-month moratorium on new data center projects, with the county council scheduled to vote on the measure this week. "The proposed ordinance would establish a temporary moratorium to allow time to review and adopt regulations and zoning ordinance text amendments related to data centers and heavy industrial use conditions, and to complete any necessary studies or analysis," the county said in a statement.

Despite AWS's exit, interest in the area remains. Natelli Holdings has expressed interest in developing land south of the former AWS site, at 10475, 10485, and 10495 Solomons Island Road, suggesting that the region's proximity to reliable power generation continues to attract developers.

AWS's broader infrastructure plans in Maryland are also encountering headwinds. The company's upcoming Fastnet cable, which is set to connect the US to Ireland and land in Maryland's Ocean City, has hit regulatory obstacles. Globalinx, the designated developer of the landing station hosting the cable, has been affected by a 12-month moratorium imposed by Worcester County on permits for data centers and cable landing stations. Globalinx has told local press that the block has not terminated its agreement with Amazon, though the timeline for the project remains uncertain.

The decision to pull out of Calvert County underscores the mounting challenges facing hyperscale data center developers, including permitting delays, community opposition, and the increasing complexity of securing long-term power agreements. As municipalities across the US tighten oversight of large-scale infrastructure projects, cloud providers may need to recalibrate their siting strategies, particularly in regions where nuclear or other baseload power sources are seen as critical assets.