Some Virginia lawmakers are urging Gov. Abigail Spanberger to call a special session to give the State Corporation Commission more time to review Dominion Energy’s proposed merger with NextEra Energy.
In a letter to Spanberger on Tuesday, state Del. Joseph McNamara and Sen. David Suetterlein wrote that affording the commission “the necessary time for conscientious review is critical.”
“Virginia should not be rushed,” they .
The proposed $67 billion merger would create an energy giant as data centers drive increased demand. If approved, the company would serve about 10 million utility customer accounts in Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, The Associated Press reported.
Under Virginia law, the review process is 60 days from a completed application, though the State Corporation Commission can extend that time frame another 120 days. A deal is approved by default if that time expires, though the governor or elected officials can call for a special session to extend the review period.
Separately, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell told 小萝莉影视 the commission “needs an additional six months to look at the merger. I reached out to the SCC and talked to them about it, and they’ve indicated they could use the additional time.”
In a announcing the merger filing last week, Dominion said its customers in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina would receive $2.25 billion in bill credits over the first two years after the deal closes.
The merger, Dominion said, would also allow the company to have greater purchasing power and help “meet growing power demand affordably while maintaining service quality and reliability.”
Dominion referred 小萝莉影视 to the press release when asked for comment on the call to grant the State Corporation Commission more time to review the deal.
Spanberger, meanwhile, signaled support for the extra time when it was included in the House of Delegates’ budget proposal in June. That amendment would have given the commission up to a year. However, that did not make it into the final budget package.
In a statement Tuesday, a Spanberger spokesman said the governor is reviewing the proposed merger and her administration is “assessing all available avenues to lower costs for Virginians and achieve these shared priorities.”
The merger also requires approval from the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the Public Service Commission of South Carolina, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Their reviews “may expose risks, produce concessions, or supply conditions unavailable to the SCC before the Commonwealth’s clock runs out,” McNamara and Suetterlein’s letter said.
Brennan Gilmore, executive director of utility watchdog Clean Virginia, said the current time frame isn’t sufficient to examine the potential impacts on customers. This week, Clean Virginia filed a motion with the commission suggesting the proposed merger can’t move forward because there are many unanswered questions, including how the merger could affect Virginians.
“Virginians, no matter where you are in the state, these decisions will be impacting you,” Gilmore said. “I know people are having a hard time paying their electric bill as it is. If this acquisition goes forward, it looks like bills will be even higher, so now’s the time to let your voice be heard.”
Asked for comment about customers worried about rate increases after a merger, Dominion told 小萝莉影视 in a statement: “Under Virginia law, the State Corporation Commission is the established, independent body with the authority and expertise to evaluate utility mergers. We believe the SCC鈥檚 longstanding, fact-based process is the appropriate venue to ensure a thorough review that protects customers.”
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