Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger said on Thursday she will formally intervene in the regulatory review of NextEra Energy’s proposed $66.8 billion acquisition of Dominion Energy, seeking stronger commitments on electricity affordability, employment protection and clean energy investment.
By joining the case before the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Spanberger will gain access to regulatory filings and the ability to question the companies’ proposals. She said the current commitments do not provide enough detail to address public concerns.
The merger, announced in May, aims to create one of the world’s largest electric utilities as demand for power rises, driven largely by the rapid expansion of energy-intensive data centres. If approved, the combined company would become the third-largest U.S. energy firm by enterprise value, behind Exxon and Chevron.
Spanberger described her decision to intervene as unprecedented for a Virginia governor but said the scale of the transaction also has no precedent. She stressed that the State Corporation Commission retains full authority to approve or reject the deal, while her participation would allow the state to seek legal remedies after a final ruling if necessary.