Board approves PILOT deal with Calvert Cliffs operator Constellation

The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners on the dais approved a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant LLC, a Constellation Energy subsidiary, covering tax years 2023 through 2027 and including an automatic renewal provision that would extend the pilot for an additional five years unless either party objects.

Ashley Staples Reed, special projects program manager in the county administrator’s office, briefed commissioners on the proposal and the revenue implications, saying staff recommended the board “consider the proposed pilot agreement with Constellation, and, if appropriate, authorize the president to sign on behalf of the board.” The memo detailed aggregated pilot amounts for the multi-year period and noted Constellation had already paid assessed amounts for 2023.

Jana Jackson, Constellation’s government-affairs representative, joined the meeting virtually and thanked the county for its engagement, saying the company appreciated “the symbiotic relationship” and the county’s openness to continued partnership.

Commissioner [Speaker 2] moved to adopt and authorize the board president to sign the PILOT agreement; the motion was seconded from the dais and carried by voice vote. Chair [Speaker 1] said the board had not experienced contentious negotiations and thanked Constellation and county staff for their work.

No roll-call tally was recorded in the public minutes; the board approved the motion by voice, and the chair declared the motion carries. The approval directs staff to finalize the agreement and return any necessary signature instruments to the president for execution.

Next steps: the county will finalize the written agreement and proceed with the administrative steps needed for execution and implementation.