Charlottesville-area residents will have a chance to share their thoughts on Dominion Energy’s proposed merger with NextEra Energy with elected officials during a Sept. 14 listening session.
Under the proposed $67 billion deal, Florida-based NextEra Energy would buy Richmond-based Dominion Energy, creating the world’s largest regulated utility company. It would serve about 10 million customer accounts across Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, as reported by Virginia Mercury.
Dominion and NextEra formally filed their merger application with Virginia’s State Corporation Commission on July 15, 2026. The SCC — the state regulatory body that oversees utilities, including Dominion Energy Virginia — has six months to make a decision on the merger from that date, as required by state law.
According to Virginia Mercury, the deal has generated significant public scrutiny, namely concerns from consumer advocates and lawmakers about whether it could increase customers’ electric bills and whether six months will be enough time for Virginia regulators to thoroughly review the deal.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger also announced in August that she would become the first Virginia governor to formally intervene in a case before the State Corporation Commission, saying she wanted to advocate for affordable electric bills, Virginia jobs and the state’s clean energy goals according to an opinion piece written by Spanberger and published in The Washington Post (subscription required).
The SCC has also faced questions about whether Chair Kelsey Bagot should recuse herself from the merger review because she previously worked as a senior attorney for NextEra Energy, as reported by Virginia Mercury. Bagot has declined to recuse herself, saying her previous recusal from an SCC case involving NextEra was specific to a transmission project for which she had provided legal counsel.
Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi — who has called for additional time to review the proposal and for greater legislative oversight — will host the event as part of her “Energy Costs Listening Tour,” which is visiting communities across Virginia to discuss the proposed takeover, utility bills and other energy issues.
Take action
Tell your elected officials your thoughts on the proposed Dominion-NextEra merger
Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi will bring her “Energy Costs Listening Tour” to Charlottesville on Sept. 14 for a community conversation about the proposed Dominion–NextEra merger and what it could mean for utility customers.
The listening session will take place on Monday, Sept. 14 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, located at 233 4th St NW in Charlottesville.
The event is free and open to the public. It will include energy experts and local elected officials, including Sen. Creigh Deeds, Del. Amy Laufer and Del. Katrina Callsen, according to the tour’s organizers. Learn more about the event and RSVP here.
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