Lawmakers continue weighing in on Dominion–NextEra deal

VPM · Patrick Larsen · September 8, 2026

Gov. Abigail Spanberger last week rebuffed bipartisan calls for a special session of the General Assembly to address concerns with state utility merger law.

The issue at hand: Dominion Energy, the state’s largest electric utility, is proposing to merge with Florida giant NextEra Energy. The $67 billion deal would create the world’s largest regulated electric utility.

Shareholders at each company approved the deal last week, a preliminary hurdle ahead of regulatory approvals.

But due to the existing process, the State Corporation Commission only has until Jan. 11, 2027, to review the case, which was filed by the utilities on July 15, 2026.

And lawmakers are concerned that’s too short a time, given the scale of merging Virginia and Florida’s largest electric utilities.

It’s not legislators’ first attempt: State lawmakers tried to extend the SCC’s timeline to one year, rather than six months, during June’s budget session. However, it did not make it into the finalized spending plan lasting from July 1, 2026–June 30, 2028.

Special sessions, however, are not the only way elected officials are attempting to have an influence on the merger. The governor herself took the unique step of joining the case as a full-fledged participant , allowing her staff to testify, cross-examine witnesses, engage in settlement decisions and more.

Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi is also touring the commonwealth to hear constituents’ concerns about the case.

Over a dozen Virginia lawmakers have called for regional public hearings on the case. Others have outright expressed opposition. Even localities are getting involved in various ways, with officials providing comments and some intervening , like Spanberger.

Let’s break it down.

Special session — or not?

Calls for amendments to the Utility Transfers Act , the state law governing the Dominion–NextEra merger, began in earnest after a June meeting of the state Energy Commission.

In that meeting, Scott Hempling, a national utility merger expert, told lawmakers that the short timeline would make it impossible for regulators to have a “full hearing of the complexity of this transaction.”

Roanoke Republicans Sen. David Suetterlein and Del. Joe McNamara sent a letter to Spanberger, along with Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D–Portsmouth) and Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas (D–Portsmouth), in July.

“Given that the stakes are so high for working Virginians, and Virginia is also the largest component of this potential merger,” Suetterlein told VPM News before Spanberger’s Thursday denial, “I want the review period extended, so the State Corporation Commission has more time to make the best decision.”

Suetterlein said he was pleased to see a group of Democrats follow suit with their own letter in August, noting that Hashmi and former Gov. Jim Gilmore, a Republican, had also independently called for extensions .

“You have a wide assortment of political opinions, of different political philosophies, all articulating that more time is needed,” Suetterlein said.

But the governor denied those calls on Thursday, as well as calls from state Sens. Richard Stuart (R–King George) and Russet Perry (D–Fauquier) to order a special session regarding the Department of Environmental Quality’s recent Eastern Virginia groundwater report .

She noted there is already an ongoing special session, convened in April to finalize the state budget: “The General Assembly is currently in a special session and can choose to come together at this time. As such, I will not be calling a second special session.”

Del. Irene Shin (D–Fairfax) said she feels the governor’s response is “perfectly valid.”

“Trying to change the timeline now on a case that is already in motion before the SCC, I think, would be extraordinary,” Shin told VPM News. “I think that if we had intentions to extend the timeline, it was probably something that we should have done much earlier.”

As it stands the SCC has until Jan. 11, two days before the 2027 General Assembly session begins, to make a decision — and most laws passed at that session won’t take effect until July 1, 2027.

Suetterlein expressed his displeasure with the governor’s call.

“This is a real opportunity to make sure that the huge potential merger would get adequate review and scrutiny,” he said.

SCC urged to scrutinize deal, consult residents

Although Shin, who is opposed to the merger, says legislative action now would be “extraordinary,” the delegate is still working to bring more people into the conversation.

Part of that work involves a letter she sent to the SCC in July. Over a dozen other elected officials at the state and local level have done the same in hopes that the Commission will schedule regional, in-person public comment hearings.

The SCC has scheduled virtual call-in public comment hearings on Nov. 5, 9 and 10.

“Public comments and opportunities for the public to engage or weigh in should be made easy, not hard,” Shin said. “And I think telephonic hearings, the way that the SCC runs them, makes public engagement very, very hard.”

At the first stop of Hashmi’s “Energy Costs Listening Tour” in Loudoun County on Sept. 2, it was apparent that Virginians in Data Center Alley wanted to have their say.

Dozens of residents asked questions of legislators and expressed their concerns — over transmission development to serve data centers, over rising electric bills and over Virginia’s clean energy commitments.

“Your presence here tonight is indicative of your concerns,” Hashmi told the crowd in Loudoun. “The proposed Dominion Energy–NextEra merger is not simply a corporate deal to be hammered out in boardrooms. It’s a decision that will affect the electric bills, jobs, communities and energy future of millions of Virginians.”

Speaker Scott weighed in at the SCC in a Sept. 1 letter. He did not call for in-person public comment hearings, but argued that affordability for Virginia ratepayers, job protections for Virginia employees of Dominion and adherence to the Virginia Clean Economy Act should be central to the commission’s deliberations.

“ If this merger is not focused on affordability, it should not go forward, ” the speaker wrote, emphasizing his language with italics.

Dominion has offered temporary job protection for its Virginia employees as part of the merger proposal.

Scott also told the Richmond Times-Dispatch Thursday that he trusts the SCC’s expertise and does not think extending the commission’s timeline for deliberation is necessary.

SCC staff has maintained the same position since before the utilities submitted their application.

What’s next?

Discussions of the merger, both public and private, will continue apace in the coming weeks.

Hashmi is continuing her listening tour , with stops in Norfolk, Richmond, Charlottesville and Roanoke this month.

Public comment submissions remain open at the SCC until Nov. 9.

And the evidentiary hearing for the case begins Nov. 17. There, parties including the utilities, ratepayer protection and environmental advocates, businesses and Spanberger’s office will testify about the proposal

A Dominion Energy spokesperson provided comment to VPM News in response to Scott’s Sept. 1 SCC letter, writing that the utility appreciates the House speaker’s focus on protecting Virginia ratepayers.

“We look forward to demonstrating that this combination will mean real, lasting benefits for customers, employees, and communities throughout Virginia,” the spokesperson wrote.

The utility did not respond to VPM News’ questions about the push for an extension of the commission’s review or Hashmi’s listening tour.

Disclosure: Dominion Energy is a VPM sponsor.

Read the full story at VPM