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Amazon Signs Long-Term Power Purchase Agreement to Support $3 Billion Investment: Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant Plans 190 MW Power Uprate and License Renewal Application

Constellation Energy and tech giant Amazon officially announced on September 30 the signing of a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The agreement will fully support a major infrastructure upgrade investment exceeding $3 billion at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Maryland, with the core plan including a total 190 MW power uprate for two operating Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) units. This 20-year PPA locks in a 690 MW power supply allocation, of which...

2026-10-03

Amazon Withdraws Data Center Plans Near Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant

Amazon has withdrawn its plans to build data centers near the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Maryland. The decision comes after some local residents expressed concerns about the proposal, citing potential environmental and health impacts. Nevertheless, supporters argued that the move would bring new tax revenue to the region. Amazon had originally planned to establish seven facilities across three campuses on 2,000 acres of land near the nuclear plant. Calvert County Commission officials stated they would hold a public hearing on August 18 to consider a six-month temporary moratorium on any data center development projects. The proposed ordinance would establish a temporary pause...

2026-08-05

Brazilian research team uses stable isotope analysis to trace Amazon timber origins

Brazilian researchers are developing a timber traceability tool based on stable isotope analysis to help identify the origins of illegally logged wood in the Amazon region. Illegal logging is reported to be one of the major causes of deforestation in the Amazon. Local environmental and law enforcement agencies currently typically determine timber origins through plant anatomical characteristics, tree species distribution, and official records such as forest origin documents, but these methods are not always sufficient to prove that timber comes from legal areas. A research team at the Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo (CENA-USP) is mapping the isotopic distribution of Amazon trees. The method analyzes the ratios of different isotopes of elements such as oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and strontium in wood cellulose to narrow down the potential harvesting areas of timber. Team leader Luiz Antonio Martinelli stated that stable isotopes are difficult to forge artificially, offering the potential to provide federal police with a more tamper-resistant technical tool.

2026-08-02