Gov. Abigail Spanberger said she has not decided whether to support the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and Florida-based NextEra Energy, saying she plans to closely scrutinize the deal’s impact on electric rates, Virginia jobs and the state’s energy future before taking a position. The proposed merger would create the nation’s largest electric utility and will require approval from the State Corporation Commission.
In an interview released Monday on Politico’s Energy Podcast, Spanberger said she is waiting for the companies to formally file their application with the SCC before weighing in publicly on what would become the largest utility merger in U.S. history.
“I haven’t taken a position on this yet,” Spanberger said. “The devil’s in the details.”
The governor said her administration will evaluate three primary issues once the application is filed: whether the merger would lower costs for Virginia ratepayers, how it would affect Dominion’s Virginia workforce and what it would mean for the commonwealth’s long-term energy generation strategy, particularly investments in zero-carbon energy.
“Certainly, in some of the announcements, they’ve spoken of positive intentions on lowering costs, but how does that actually happen in the details, and what does this potential merger mean for Virginians and ratepayers?” Spanberger said.
She also noted that Dominion’s role as a major Virginia employer also would receive close scrutiny.
“The implications of this potential merger on jobs in Virginia is something that I will be considering,” she said, noting the company’s linemen, nuclear plant workers and Richmond headquarters employees.
While declining to speculate on whether she would ultimately support or oppose the proposal, Spanberger indicated that her administration has several avenues for participation in the regulatory review.
“There are options for us to weigh in,” she said. “There’s all sorts of mechanisms that we can ask questions, raise concerns or ultimately provide what could be very vital input.”
She added that “every tool is available for us to make sure that we are doing right by the people that we serve.”
Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi recently called for a change to the SCC’s review process, which is currently limited to 6 months.
“Six months is simply not enough time to evaluate a $67 billion merger that would reshape Virginia’s electric utility landscape, affect millions of families, and impact the thousands of Virginians employed by Dominion Energy,” Hashmi wrote in an op-ed with the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Legislative leaders also expressed concerns over the limited time.
“I am concerned about it,” said Sen. Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, during a conversation with reporters last month.
Surovell pointed to testimony from Scott Hempling, a public utilities attorney who has advised state regulators. He previously told the Energy Commission of Virginia that the current timeline would not allow for a sufficient review of a merger of this magnitude.
“I want to be quite blunt with you. I have been involved in over a dozen mergers since 1985. There is no way that a full hearing of the complexity of this transaction can occur in a six-month proceeding. That’s not possible,” Hempling said during a meeting for the Energy Commission of Virginia in June.
“Yes, the SCC will complete the transactions review in the six-month period if that’s what it has to do,” he continued. “That’s the way commissions work. But the question is at what level of oversimplification.”
Sen. Majority Leader Scott Surovell says he has concerns about the limited review process of this merger, but notes he does not see a mechanism for a change to the six month time limit on the review without the governor calling a special session. https://t.co/qhUeS3WoMy pic.twitter.com/vGuSH5qxyA
— Brandon Jarvis (@Jaaavis) June 29, 2026
Surovell also said he does not believe there is a mechanism for lawmakers to change the review process, as they are not scheduled to return for the next legislative session until January.
However, legislators did not adjourn from the special session after completing the budget on June 29. Instead, both chambers went into recess, which could leave the door open for them to return to Richmond.
In October of 2025, the General Assembly was still in an active special session that had begun earlier that year to address federal budget cuts. Legislators convened in October and voted to change the scope of the special session to include redistricting.
Dominion Energy representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment in this story.
Spanberger could also call the legislature to a special session to extend the review process. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.