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Home – Virginia Politics & News – Virginians Wonder About Impact of Proposed Dominion-NextEra Merger

Virginians Wonder About Impact of Proposed Dominion-NextEra Merger

Early July brought 100-plus-degree temperatures to large swaths of Virginia, forcing most of the commonwealth’s air conditioners to whir all day and night. Temperatures may hit 100 degrees again this week.

But staying comfortable costs more this summer: Dominion Energy announced that, starting this month, it will add an $8-per-month charge to every domestic customer’s bill for the next year to cover higher fuel costs. Another increase, $1.80 per month, is coming this fall.

“The cost of living is so high already that a higher electricity bill is not something we need right now,” Dominion customer Margaret Murphy told WTVR. “I don’t like to see my bill go up in any way, shape, or form,” added customer Mike Uzel.

The rising bills may complicate the proposed $67-billion merger of Dominion and NextEra Energy. The deal, which amounts to NextEra purchasing Dominion, was announced on May 18 and aims to create the world’s largest regulated electric utility by market capitalization.

But it is a long process. The merger still needs to be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Virginia State Corporation Commission, the North Carolina Utilities Commission, and the Public Service Commission of South Carolina before it can go forward. That could take more than a year.

Energy demand is expected to jump during that time. “According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity consumption was........

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