Alexandria’s state Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-39) and a handful of other Democratic lawmakers are calling on Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) to convene a special session in September on the proposed Dominion Energy and NextEra merger.
The proposed $67 billion merger of Virginia’s largest electric utility with Florida-based NextEra is under consideration at Virginia’s State Corporation Commission. It is also being reviewed at the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the Public Service Commission of South Carolina, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The merger case will last about six months after the joint petition for acquisition was filed with the SCC on July 15, which means an SCC decision is expected in January 2027.
That’s unless lawmakers can get an extension on the process.
In a letter to Spanberger on Aug. 31, lawmakers said a special session in September would allow consideration of legislation to extend the merger’s review period. In July, several Republican lawmakers had also called for the special session.
“As legislators, we want to ensure ratepayers, communities, and the reliability of Virginia’s energy system are protected throughout this process, and that requires a timeline set by the demands of the review rather than by an arbitrary statutory clock,” the Democratic lawmakers said.
Along with Bennett-Parker, lawmakers signing the letter included state Sens. Jeremy McPike (D-29), Saddam Azlan Salim (D-37), Danica Roem (D-30), Michael Jones (D-15), Stella Pekarsky (D-36) and Barbara Favola (D-40) and Dels. Elizabeth Guzman (D-22), Sam Rasoul (D-38), Joshua Cole (D-65), Mark Downey (D-69), Charles Schmidt (D-77), Rae Cousins (D-79) and Jessica Anderson (D-71).
Spanberger has already filed to intervene in the case, the first time a Virginia governor has done so in an SCC case. The City of Alexandria is also a case participant to advocate on behalf of Alexandria residents on the impacts of the proposed merger.
Nov. 2 will be the last day to file as a public witness before testimony will be given on Nov. 5, 9 and 10. Written comments are also being accepted. The evidentiary hearing involving parties in the case is expected on Nov. 17.
The full letter to the governor is below.
Dear Governor Spanberger:
As members of the Virginia General Assembly, we respectfully ask to call a special session of the legislature to extend the State Corporation Commission’s timeframe for reviewing the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy. Under current law, the SCC must issue a determination within 180 days of a completed application, with approval automatically granted if no decision is reached in that window. A transaction of this magnitude cannot be meaningfully examined on that schedule. Six months is not enough time for the Commission to build a complete evidentiary record, for intervenors and expert witnesses to test the companies’ claims, or for the public to understand and respond to what is being proposed — and the consequence of running out the clock is not a denial but an automatic approval.
A deal involving tens of billions of dollars and the long-term ownership structure of the Commonwealth’s largest utility warrants a review process matched to its complexity. The Commission needs time to fully evaluate the terms being offered, including the long-term impacts on energy bills. Ratepayers, local governments, businesses, and consumer advocates need a real opportunity to examine the filings, participate in hearings, and submit comment — not a compressed window that forecloses genuine scrutiny. As legislators, we want to ensure ratepayers, communities, and the reliability of Virginia’s energy system are protected throughout this process, and that requires a timeline set by the demands of the review rather than by an arbitrary statutory clock.
A special session convened and adjourned by the end of September would allow legislation extending the review period to take effect within the necessary timeframe, giving the Commission the time it needs without disrupting the overall review timeline. We support calling the General Assembly back into session for this urgent purpose, so that a merger of this scale receives the rigorous public and regulatory examination Virginians deserve.
