Public hearings in the case to decide the fate of the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and Florida-based NextEra Energy begin this week at the State Corporation Commission. The $67 billion all-stock deal would create the largest regulated utility in the world.
In the months preceding the hearings, scores of lawmakers, consumer advocates and citizens have strongly opposed the proposal, with leaders at the top level of state government pushing for more time to review the case.
A wireless tower developer is seeking a special exception from Fairfax County for a 175-foot monopole to be constructed on the grounds of a private girls’ school in McLean in hopes of remedying unreliable cell service on the property and along Georgetown Pike.
The application from Milestone Towers, submitted jointly with the Madeira School on Oct. 28, seeks to place the tower in a “secluded and forested portion” of the school’s 376-acre property, located at 8328 and 8134 Georgetown Pike.
Amid pushback on the proposed Dominion Energy merger with NextEra Energy, an in-person hearing to gather public testimony has been scheduled in Fairfax County.
The State Corporation Commission, which is reviewing the proposed merger, scheduled a public hearing for 6-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 at the Fairfax County Government Center in the Board Auditorium (12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax).
By SARAH RANKIN Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Power companies NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy, which are seeking approval to merge into one behemoth, announced plans Monday to sweeten the deal in Virginia, Dominion’s home base, where the proposal has faced skepticism from the Democratic governor and legislative leaders.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has formally filed to intervene in the proposed merger of Dominion Energy with Florida-based NextEra Energy.
The $67 billion merger proposal is under review by Virginia’s State Corporation Commission (SCC). According to her office, Spanberger is the first governor in Virginia history to intervene in an SCC case. Chief Energy Officer Josephus Allmond, the first person appointed to Spanberger’s new cabinet position, also filed to be a party in the case.
Fairfax County is leading solar panel installations and signups from a solar program backed by Virginia’s governor as homeowners look for ways to address rising electricity costs.
Switch Together, a bulk purchasing initiative to connect residents to solar installers, was recently expanded from Northern Virginia to other parts of the state. It was previously only open in Fairfax and Arlington counties, with Alexandria joining the roster last summer.
Fairfax County’s drinking water utility is joining several D.C.-area organizations in a regional study to evaluate backup water supply alternatives to the Potomac River.
Fairfax Water is joining Maryland’s WSSC Water and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a $25 million “Secure the Source” study to explore potential large-scale alternatives that could provide several weeks of emergency backup water supply for over 5 million residents in the D.C. region currently served by the Potomac.
Throughout the Town of Vienna’s 4.4 square miles, and in adjacent areas of Fairfax County, a number of businesses and residents have struggled with dead zones or otherwise weak cell phone coverage, leading to increasing frustration and even the passage of state legislation.
In a work session on May 11, staff and wireless providers told Vienna Town Council members that taller antennas are needed — and potentially a new review process with less oversight from the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) — to fix the recurring issues.
By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer
NextEra Energy is seeking to acquire Dominion Energy in an all-stock deal valued at about $67 billion, creating a massive power company as the energy needs of artificial intelligence drive demand higher in the U.S.
As the deadline for her to act on 2026 General Assembly legislation approaches, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed additional bills yesterday (Wednesday) on health care, housing and energy, including a few championed by Fairfax County lawmakers.
The governor has approved hundreds of bills since the General Assembly session ended on March 14. The latest round of bills includes a codified right to contraception, limits on prior authorizations on prescription drugs from insurance plans, stricter emissions standards for data centers, tools to incentivize and preserve affordable housing, and a longer mandatory waiting period before landlords pursue evictions.
