At a Virginia State Corporation Commission hearing in Fairfax County, most state and local officials who spoke opposed the proposed NextEra Energy-Dominion Energy merger or said it should be approved only with strict conditions. Their concerns centered on electricity affordability, data center cost allocation, antitrust issues, and whether NextEra would honor Virginia's Clean Economy Act. Several speakers also cited NextEra's $150 million settlement over political interference allegations in Florida and called for protections against similar conduct in Virginia.
Supporters, including local business and union leaders, argued the merger would create jobs and help meet rising electricity demand. A union political coordinator noted that data centers use only a small share of the grid and warned against blaming the industry for rate increases. He also said his union was still negotiating with the companies and did not give an opinion on the merger itself.
The hearing was the second of two local in-person sessions, with telephonic hearings scheduled for November and an evidentiary hearing beginning November 17. Virginia's lieutenant governor has concluded the merger is not in the state's best interest, while the governor has said she is skeptical. Federal regulators have also told the companies their merger application is incomplete, and the SCC is expected to rule in January. Speakers differed sharply on the merger's merits, but the dominant message from elected officials was that ratepayers should not bear the costs of data center growth or corporate expansion.{