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NextEra Energy said on May 18, 2026 it will buy Dominion Energy for $66.8 billion, as U.S. electric utilities pursue consolidation and higher profits. The article links deal activity to data center and AI-driven power demand, and to investor preferences for regulated returns, deregulated trading, M&A, and regulatory influence.

NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy filed merger applications with state and federal regulators, aiming to close in the second half of 2027, according to Energy Central and Fortune. Analysts, per the Financial Times, warn that utilities building natural gas for expected data center load face stranded-asset risk if some data centers do not get built, shifting costs to ratepayers.

Rep. Morgan Griffith urged Gov. Abigail Spanberger to protect coal in her review of Dominion Energy’s proposed merger with NextEra Energy, citing Dominion’s 610 MW Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center near St. Paul. He said the plant supports jobs, taxes, grid reliability and methane reductions. Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi announced a statewide listening tour on energy costs tied to the merger.

Dominion Energy customers in Virginia criticized Dominion’s proposed $67B merger with NextEra, saying rate hikes and potential long-term costs could burden households. Dominion also filed for another rate increase, adding about $3.46 per month for grid upgrades and rural broadband. The merger includes $1.8B in bill credits, projected to cut bills about $10 monthly for two years, according to the companies.

Dominion Energy Virginia filed with the NRC on July 14 to renew the early site permit for the North Anna nuclear plant site in Louisa County, Virginia, seeking a 20-year extension. The NRC acknowledged receipt on July 28. The current permit expires November 27, 2027, and renewal would extend site authorization while keeping options open for future units.

Dominion Energy reported Q2 2026 sales of $4,480 million and net income of $340 million, with sales up but profit down year over year. Virginia regulators ordered Dominion to directly assign certain transmission infrastructure costs to new large-load users such as data centers, changing grid expansion cost recovery. The article cites 2029 revenue of $20.6 billion and earnings of $3.9 billion.

WIS reports Dominion Energy has finished a more than two-year restoration of the Lake Murray Dam intake towers. Dominion says construction began in January 2024, replacing headgates and rebuilding brick enclosures to direct water to the lower Saluda River. The company said South Carolina DNR will enforce a 200-foot exclusion zone, and additional cleanup work will follow.

Dominion Energy said it is seeking North Carolina cost increases reviewed by the North Carolina Utilities Commission. If approved, customers using 1,000 kWh would see about $23.48 more per month starting Feb. 1, 2027, plus an additional $2.25, totaling about $25.73. Separately, SNAP changes are linked to rising food bank demand, and Karoline Leavitt is set to leave as White House press secretary.

Dominion Energy asked Virginia’s State Corporation Commission to recover an additional $922 million in fuel costs over multiple years. SCC staff, in testimony by Carol Myers, said Dominion may have misestimated load growth and that forecasts may not have captured changing dynamics behind recent under-recoveries. Consumer advocates and Del. Irene Shin urged tighter scrutiny of Dominion’s fuel purchasing and planning.

Dominion Energy filed with the North Carolina Utilities Commission to update fuel costs for northeastern NC customers. The company says approval would raise a typical residential bill by about $23.48 per month from Feb. 1, 2027, reflecting higher purchased power and natural gas costs in July 2025-June 2026. It also sought other charges adding about $2.25 monthly, totaling about $25.73. Hearings are planned this fall.