Virginia officials push back on Dominion-NextEra merger at hearing

At a Virginia State Corporation Commission public hearing, most state and local officials urged regulators to deny the Dominion-NextEra merger or attach conditions on rates and data center cost allocation. Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi said the deal is not in Virginians' best interest; the SCC's evidentiary hearing starts Nov. 17, with a decision due in January.

Why it matters: The deal would create the nation's largest electric utility, and mounting political opposition in Virginia raises the regulatory stakes.