Virginia AG Seeks to Restart 180-Day Regulatory Clock on $67 Billion Dominion-NextEra Merger

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is formally petitioning the State Corporation Commission to restart the 180-day regulatory review clock for the $67 billion merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy. The request, filed by the Division of Consumer Counsel on September 18, 2026, argues that a recent package of expanded financial commitments from the utilities constitutes a material amendment to the deal, rather than routine supplemental testimony.[1]

Dominion and NextEra initially filed their merger application in mid-July 2026, triggering a statutory six-month review period that was expected to conclude in January 2027. However, on September 14, 2026, the companies submitted a revised proposal designed to win over skeptical state officials and consumer advocates.[1]

The enhanced package doubles the previously proposed residential bill credits from two years to four years. It also injects an additional $100 million into Dominion's EnergyShare assistance program through 2038 and guarantees current Virginia employee headcount levels for five years.[1][3][4]

Beyond direct ratepayer credits, the utilities pledged to create 1,000 new direct jobs in Virginia, establish a $100 million workforce development fund, and direct up to $1 billion annually for five years through a Virginia supplier program. The proposal also includes plans to construct a new NextEra Energy office tower in downtown Richmond.[1][3]

The attorney general's office contends that these additions fundamentally alter the transaction under review, requiring a fresh evaluation period. “The Joint Petitioners have put a different deal on the table,” the attorney general's office stated in its filing.[1]

If the State Corporation Commission grants the request, the 180-day statutory deadline would reset to September 14, 2026. This would push the final decision deadline into March 2027 and require regulators to postpone an evidentiary hearing currently scheduled for November 17, 2026, until January.[1]

Dominion and NextEra maintain that the September 14 filing represents limited, voluntary commitments that do not affect the completeness of their original July petition. The companies argue that intervenors have sufficient time to review the alternative proposal for allocating bill credits before the existing October 19, 2026, testimony deadline.[1][4]

The $67 billion transaction would combine Richmond-based Dominion with Florida-based NextEra to create the largest regulated electric utility in the world. The merger arrives as Virginia faces unprecedented power demand driven by the rapid expansion of data centers in the region.

Dominion executives have projected that the commonwealth's surging electricity demand will require $55 billion in capital spending over the next five years alone. NextEra asserts that its balance sheet and supply chain expertise are necessary to help Dominion meet that infrastructure challenge affordably.

The attorney general's office has already initiated discovery requests seeking detailed financial modeling behind the new commitments. Regulators must now decide whether to hold the original schedule or grant the extension, a procedural ruling that will dictate the pace of the largest utility merger in U.S. history.[1]