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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The City of Alexandria said Tuesday it is intervening in the state regulatory review of NextEra Energy's proposed acquisition of Dominion Energy, joining Gov. Abigail Spanberger and others seeking a formal role in a case that will shape electric bills for Dominion's 2.7 million Virginia customers.
Intervening allows the city to submit expert testimony, question witnesses and take part in any settlement talks before the State Corporation Commission.
"The increasing cost of electricity is making it harder for Alexandria families to pay their bills," Mayor Alyia Gaskins said in a statement. She said the interests of Virginians affected by the deal must come before corporate interests, and that the city has consistently pushed for full implementation of the clean energy and efficiency policies passed by the General Assembly.
Ryan Freed, the city's climate action officer, said Alexandria's participation in natural gas and water rate cases this year helped cut rate increases by roughly $4.5 million a year for city residents. "These cases have impacts on how we live our lives, from our ability to pay our bills to the confidence the power will stay on during extreme weather events," he said.
A crowded case
Alexandria is not the first Virginia government to step in. Spanberger filed a notice of participation Aug. 17, becoming the first Virginia governor to formally intervene in an SCC case. She had announced her intention in a Washington Post op-ed on Aug. 6.
Spanberger has said she will judge the merger on three questions: whether it lowers energy bills for Virginia families and small businesses, whether it protects the jobs of Dominion's workforce, and whether NextEra has a plan to accelerate progress toward affordable, reliable, local and clean power. Gaskins's statement echoes those themes.
The case has also drawn scrutiny at the General Assembly, where the Energy Commission of Virginia heard from utility regulation experts on Aug. 18 while roughly 50 Dominion customers and advocates rallied outside.
Separately, legislators asked SCC Chair Kelsey Bagot, a former senior attorney for NextEra, whether she would recuse herself from the case. Bagot said she saw no reason to, writing that a work history with a regulated entity has not historically required recusal. She left NextEra after her appointment to the commission, where she took office in April 2024.
What the companies are offering
NextEra and Dominion filed their joint petition with the SCC on July 15, following a merger agreement signed May 15. The deal is valued at about $67 billion and would create what the companies describe as the world's largest regulated electric utility, serving roughly 10 million customer accounts across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.
Under the structure, Dominion Energy Virginia would remain a Virginia public service corporation and become an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra, which is headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida.
The companies have proposed conditions for the commission to impose as terms of approval, including $2.25 billion in shareholder-funded bill credits across the three states, of which about $1.78 billion is expected to flow to Virginia customers. The credits would be spread over 24 billing months after closing and appear as a separate line item. A typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month would receive about $10 a month over the two-year period.
Other proposed commitments include establishing Richmond as a dual corporate headquarters alongside Juno Beach, keeping Dominion Energy Virginia's operating headquarters in Richmond, retaining Edward H. Baine as president of the Virginia utility, an 18-month job protection guarantee for employees, and an additional $10 million a year in charitable giving for at least five years across the three states.
Robert M. Blue, Dominion's chief executive, would become president and CEO of the combined company's regulated utilities. The companies expect to close in the second half of 2027 if regulators approve.
How to weigh in
The commission has set several dates for public participation.
Anyone wishing to participate as a respondent must file by Sept. 11. Written comments are due by Nov. 9 and can be submitted at the SCC website under docket PUR-2026-00112.
Telephonic public witness hearings are scheduled for Nov. 5 from 8:30 to 11 a.m., and Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 from 4 to 7 p.m. Registration to testify closes Nov. 2. Each witness gets five minutes, and the sessions will be webcast.
The evidentiary hearing — where the city, the governor and other parties would present testimony and question witnesses — is set for Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. at the commission's courtroom in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main St., Richmond.
Under state law the commission had 60 days from the July 15 filing to act, extended by an additional 120 days because of the complexity of the case. A ruling is expected by January.
