Virginia Lawmakers Stand Up to NextEra's $67 Billion Takeover of Dominion as "Ratepayer Champions"
Williamsburg, Virginia—On Wednesday, October 7, Virginia lawmakers and members of the Stop NextEra coalition will hold a press conference in Williamsburg to announce Delegate Mark Downey as Virginia’s newest Ratepayer Champion, joining 13 other state legislators who have pledged to oppose NextEra Energy’s proposed $67 billion acquisition of Dominion Energy and protect Virginians from rising power bills and the impacts of data center growth.
Downey will be joined by fellow Ratepayer Champions, Delegate Leslie Mehta, Delegate Charlie Schmidt, Delegate Kacey Carnegie, Senator Russet Perry, and Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg to discuss the proposed merger, what it could mean for Virginia ratepayers, and why they are calling for greater accountability from Virginia’s utilities.
The event comes just days after a State Corporation Commission hearing examiner ordered NextEra to turn over the “Robo Memo” and other records related to allegations that its Florida utility used corporate resources to influence elections and target public officials. NextEra had tried to hide the records, claiming they were irrelevant to the Virginia merger, but the hearing examiner found information about the company’s governance and management could be relevant to evaluating its bid to take control of Dominion Energy.
As Ratepayer Champions, participating legislators commit to:
Oppose the proposed Dominion-NextEra merger.
Protect constituents from power bill increases driven by excessive utility profits.
Protect constituents from the impacts of data centers.
WHAT: Press conference announcing Delegate Mark Downey as Virginia’s newest Ratepayer Champion, alongside lawmakers already leading opposition to the proposed $67 billion NextEra-Dominion merger.
WHO:
Delegate Mark Downey, District 69
Delegate Kacey Carnegie, District 89
Delegate Leslie Mehta, District 73
Delegate Charlie Schmidt, District 77
Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg, District 16
Senator Russet Perry, District 31
Representatives of the Stop NextEra coalition
WHEN: 11:45 AM-12:30 PM - Wednesday, October 7, 2026
WHERE: Bicentennial Park, 320 W Court St, Williamsburg, VA 23185
WHY: NextEra Energy’s proposed $67 billion acquisition of Dominion Energy would put Virginia’s largest electric utility under the control of a Florida-based corporation and create the largest electric utility company in the United States.
Virginia families are already struggling with rising electric bills while utility companies make billions in profits. NextEra is a company that is responsible for the largest residential rate hike in history, and merging with Dominion Energy would mean bigger corporations with more power to maximize profits on the backs of families who have no other options for electricity. Working people shouldn’t have to pay more so wealthy executives and shareholders can make more.
The SCC’s recent order requiring NextEra to produce records related to allegations of political misconduct by its Florida utility has added new questions about the company’s management and accountability as Virginia regulators consider whether it should be permitted to take control of Dominion.
With Delegate Downey joining the coalition, 14 Virginia legislators have now signed on as Ratepayer Champions.
Media will have an opportunity to hear directly from participating legislators and advocates and conduct interviews following the press conference.
About the Stop NextEra Coalition
The Stop NextEra coalition is a statewide coalition of Virginians and organizations working to ensure that the proposed NextEra-Dominion acquisition receives meaningful public scrutiny and that Virginia’s energy future puts families, communities, affordability, accountability, and a clean energy transition first.