36 organizations representing virginians across the commonwealth call on state leaders to strengthen review of proposed nextera-dominion merger
Diverse Coalition Urges Governor Spanberger and General Assembly Leadership to Take Immediate Executive and Legislative Action Before $67 Billion Deal Proceeds
Originally released by the Virginia Poverty Law Center on June 22, 2026.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dana Wiggins | Director of the Center for Economic Justice, Virginia Poverty Law Center
Blair St. Ledger-Olson | Director of Advocacy & Campaigns, Virginia League of Conservation Voters
Amy Bacigalupo | Communications Manager, Clean Virginia
36 Organizations Representing Virginians Across the Commonwealth Call on State Leaders to Strengthen Review of Proposed NextEra-Dominion Merger
Diverse Coalition Urges Governor Spanberger and General Assembly Leadership to Take Immediate Executive and Legislative Action Before $67 Billion Deal Proceeds
RICHMOND, Va. — 36 organizations representing a wide range of issue areas and constituencies across the Commonwealth — including consumer protection, environmental advocacy, and industry groups — today sent a letter to Governor Abigail Spanberger and Senate and House of Delegates leadership urging immediate action to strengthen Virginia’s review process for the proposed acquisition of Dominion Energy by NextEra Energy before any State Corporation Commission (SCC) proceeding begins.
“As Virginia remains at the center of unprecedented data center growth, regulators must carefully examine who stands to benefit from this merger and who bears the risk,” said Dana Wiggins of Virginia Poverty Law Center. “Utility customers deserve a process that fully evaluates the long-term impacts on rates, reliability, and service quality, and any approval should require clear benefits for the Virginians who ultimately pay the bills.”
The signatories warn that Virginia’s current legal framework for reviewing utility mergers is not built for a transaction of this scale based on two central concerns: 1) the timeline that, under existing code, gives the SCC just 60 days to approve or reject the merger application, and 2) the standard of review which does not require applicants to demonstrate that the proposed acquisition is in the best interest of Virginian utility customers.
“An electric utility merger of this size and scale is unprecedented, and anyone who pays an electric bill in Virginia deserves for state regulators to have the time and resources to get this right,” said Blair St. Ledger-Olson of Virginia League of Conservation Voters. “A rushed, flawed process has the potential to hurt ratepayers and undermine our transition to affordable, clean energy progress at a time when we’re already grappling with high electric bills and how to best meet our rising energy demand. Virginia decision-makers must ensure this deal benefits ratepayers instead of burdening them further.”
The coalition is calling on Governor Spanberger and General Assembly leadership to take immediate executive and legislative action that would:
- Extend the SCC’s review period to no less than 12 months for covered transactions of this scale; and
- Review and, if necessary, clarify the existing review standard to ensure it serves the public interest.
“Electric service is essential to daily life, and utility customers ultimately bear the costs and risks of major corporate decisions. Those customers deserve a thorough review process that gives regulators the time needed to fully evaluate the impacts of this merger on families and communities across the commonwealth,” continued Wiggins. “More importantly, those same customers deserve no less than a net positive benefit, both immediate and long-term.”
In the letter, the coalition emphasized that its request would neither prejudge the outcome of the merger review nor preclude its approval — only ensure Virginia regulators have the time and authority to scrutinize a transaction of unprecedented scale with the same rigor that peer states already apply to far smaller deals.
“Given what is at stake, Virginians deserve a review process with the time and the legal standard to actually protect their interests,” said Brennan Gilmore of Clean Virginia. “The General Assembly wrote these rules, and it’s up to the General Assembly and Governor to update them before this process moves any further.”
The full letter and list of signatories can be found here.
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The Virginia Poverty Law Center works for fair and just systems through advocacy, policy, education, and litigation. By protecting rights and expanding access to basic needs, we’re helping create a Virginia where everyone can live with dignity and stability. For more information, visit http://vplc.org
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues. For more information, visit www.valcv.org.
Clean Virginia is a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to removing corporate money from Virginia politics and reforming utility regulation to put customers first. Learn more at cleanvirginia.org.