This marks the first time a Virginia governor has taken such an action at the SCC
by: Clare Gehlich
Posted: Aug 6, 2026 / 07:34 AM EDT
Updated: Aug 6, 2026 / 07:34 AM EDT
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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — In an unprecedented move, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) will intervene in the proposed $67 billion deal between NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy — the first governor in Virginia history to weigh in on a State Corporation Commission (SCC) case.
Spanberger detailed her decision in an op-ed published on Thursday, Aug. 6, for the Washington Post. She said her intervention will focus on three non-negotiable priorities: lowering energy bills for Virginia families and small businesses, protecting the commonwealth’s utility workforce and accelerating Virginia’s transition to affordable, reliable, locally produced clean energy.
The governor, who previously urged state regulators to protect Virginians from new energy costs, also discussed how the SCC ordered data centers to cover the cost of transmission infrastructure built exclusively for data centers.
NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy submitted their merger proposal in mid-July, and the deal would become the largest utility merger in U.S. history.
Top state officials and lawmakers, such as Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi (D), have expressed concerns about this proposal. In a formal letter last month, she urged the SCC to extend its review of the merger, though at the time Spanberger had yet to take a definitive position on it.
State ratepayers have until Nov. 9 to submit their public comments to the SCC on the proposed acquisition.
It’s important to note that this means Spanberger is an active participant in the case. Intervenors can participate in court, present arguments, call witnesses, submit evidence and cross-examine.
However, a spokesperson with the SCC emphasized that the eventual decision will be up to the judges: “They will base their decision on the evidence and apply the law as passed by the General Assembly.”
The governor’s office shared the following statement with 8News:
“The Governor’s Office will be at the table and able to be an active participant in the case — asking discovery questions, filing expert testimony, putting witnesses on the stand and participating actively at the evidentiary hearing, filing post-hearing briefs, and being at the table for any potential settlement negotiations.”
For all of our coverage on the proposed Dominion-NextEra merger, click here.
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