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Virginia Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi hosted the second stop of her Energy Costs Listening Tour on September 8, drawing more than 150 Norfolk residents and community members.
The tour features a series of community conversations across Virginia examining rising energy costs and NextEra’s proposed $67 billion acquisition of Dominion Energy, which would create the largest utility merger in U.S. history.
The Norfolk event brought together residents, community organizations, elected officials, and energy experts to discuss the proposed acquisition and its potential impact on Virginia families. Hashmi was joined by Delegates Jackie Glass, Nadarius Clark, and Phil Hernandez.
According to a statement from Hashmi’s office, Glass discussed the importance of ensuring that energy policy prioritizes “affordability, reliability, consumer protections, and equitable decision-making.” She emphasized the need to hear directly from residents before final decisions are made, particularly regarding whether consumers are being asked to subsidize growing industrial energy demands.
Clark said utility profits should be tied to measurable results, including “affordable bills, reliable service, and clean energy progress, not simply spending.” He also called for any merger approval to include “clear, enforceable standards for reliability, storm recovery, customer support, interconnection timelines, and grid upgrades.”
Hernandez said the proposed Dominion-NextEra merger must “prioritize long-term affordability, protect Virginia jobs, and preserve the Commonwealth’s clean-energy commitments.” He also emphasized the need to ensure that communities directly affected by the merger have a meaningful voice in the State Corporation Commission’s decision-making process.
During the event, community members raised questions and concerns about “rising utility costs, regulatory accountability and safeguards, sustainable energy, grid reliability, the expanding data center industry, and outside corporate ownership.”
Shelby Green, the tour’s energy policy researcher for its Loudoun, Norfolk, and Richmond stops, provided insight into the proposed acquisition and its implications for utility regulation, ratepayers, and Virginia’s broader energy system. Green, an expert in utility law and energy policy, is helping provide residents with information and context about the proposed takeover.
“Virginians are already paying too much for electricity, and NextEra’s bid to take over Dominion threatens to squeeze them even more. NextEra profited over $6 billion last year, yet its customers consistently struggle to afford their bills. Through its subsidiary Florida Power & Light, NextEra cut off power to more than 1.2 million households in 2024 alone for past-due balances, more than Dominion and Appalachian Power combined. Given NextEra’s history of historic rate increases, high bills, and political influence scandals, Virginians should caution the State Corporation Commission against approving NextEra’s petition to buy Dominion and become the world’s largest regulated electric utility, and encourage state leaders to defend them from a takeover that could shape the Commonwealth’s future for generations. Consolidating any more market power into the hands of NextEra spells disaster for Virginians and anyone else who cares about lowering energy costs,” Green said.
Representatives from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network also attended the event to hear residents’ concerns, document public comments, and help ensure that the community’s perspectives are preserved and presented to the SCC.
The tour builds on energy-related conversations held across Virginia this summer and is part of Hashmi’s Virginia’s Voices initiative, according to the statement.
On July 6, Hashmi sent a letter to the SCC urging the agency to seek responses from Dominion Energy and NextEra to 64 detailed questions about the proposed acquisition. The letter followed an opinion piece she wrote for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, calling for a stronger review process and greater scrutiny of the proposal.
“Utility companies should be rewarded for delivering results. When a takeover of this size and scope is proposed, we first need a regulatory framework that ties performance to meaningful outcomes such as affordability, reliability, and progress toward a cleaner energy future,” Hashmi said.
Norfolk was the second of five stops on the Energy Costs Listening Tour. Additional events are scheduled in Richmond, Charlottesville, and Roanoke, offering residents opportunities to learn about the proposed acquisition and share their views.
Upcoming Energy Costs Listening Tour Stops
September 9: Diversity Richmond in Richmond, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
September 14: Jefferson School African American Heritage Center in Charlottesville, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
September 24: Roanoke City Market Building in Roanoke, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Virginians who want to participate directly in the SCC proceedings may register as public witnesses through November 2. Public witness testimony is scheduled for November 5, 9, and 10.
The commission will accept written comments through November 9, ahead of an evidentiary hearing scheduled to begin November 17.
According to Hashmi’s office, public input gathered during the tour will help inform ongoing discussions about Virginia’s energy future and highlight the importance of a transparent, rigorous, and accountable regulatory review process.
