Richmond City Council voted unanimously in a special meeting Thursday to intervene in the State Corporation Commission’s review of Dominion Energy’s proposed $67 billion merger with NextEra. Four council members were absent from the vote, which took place one day before the SCC’s participation notice deadline, joining a growing roster of municipal and corporate participants.
Richmond’s Seat at the Table and the Regulatory Timeline
Intervening in the case does not grant the city the authority to decide whether the merger goes through. Instead, it secures city leaders a seat at the table, creating a formal channel to review information and act as a direct voice for local ratepayers. According to filings regarding the $67 billion merger application, both companies plan to establish dual corporate headquarters if the deal clears regulators, maintaining the Richmond building alongside a second base in Juno Beach, Florida. Dominion Energy’s headquarters is in Richmond.
The regulatory scrutiny is intensifying as the State Corporation Commission targets a final decision on the merger in January 2027. Local municipalities are moving quickly to establish their formal standing. Fairfax County, the city of Alexandria, and Arlington County have all voted to intervene in the case. These local governments join a coalition of participants that includes Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, Virginia’s Chief Energy Officer Josephus Allmond, the Attorney General’s Office, Google, Walmart, and various advocacy groups.
Expanded Public Hearings and Ratepayer Engagement
Following pressure from legislators and ratepayers demanding localized oversight, regulators announced a schedule for in-person public hearings. Commission staff will attend these sessions to deliver procedural updates on the proceeding. A primary in-person hearing for Richmond is locked in for November 5, 2026, running from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 1300 E. Main St. To accommodate communities outside the capital, the commission ordered two additional local in-person hearings with venues yet to be disclosed.
For constituents unable to attend physical sessions, remote options remain active. Phone call public hearings are scheduled across three distinct windows:
- November 5, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- November 9, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- November 10, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Written comments from the public are being accepted through November 9, 2026, giving residents multiple avenues to register their positions before the evidentiary record solidifies ahead of the winter decision.
