NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy announce transformational Virginia benefits package that puts customers first and positions the Commonwealth as a global energy leader
Image File
Original HTML

Enhanced package would deliver long-term residential bill relief, create 1,000 new direct jobs in Virginia, accelerate clean energy development and build a new shareholder-funded co-headquarters tower for the combined company in downtown Richmond

JUNO BEACH, Fla. and RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In direct response to feedback from policymakers and other stakeholders, NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) and Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE: D) today announced a transformational Virginia benefits package as part of their proposed combination, designed to put customers first while positioning the Commonwealth as a global energy leader with long-term bill relief for residential customers, long-term affordability benefits, data center cost protections, accelerated clean energy deployment and thousands of new direct and indirect jobs in Richmond and across the Commonwealth.

The package is organized around the priorities Virginians have made clear: affordability, jobs and building more clean energy and battery storage faster to decrease reliance on expensive imports. It puts customers first by proposing four years of residential bill credits, delivering long-term affordability benefits, expanding low-income financial assistance and ensuring data centers pay their fair share. At the same time, it would position Virginia as a global energy leader, with a major new NextEra Energy presence in Richmond, significant new jobs across Virginia, a stronger local supply chain and national-scale energy innovation anchored in the Commonwealth.

"This is a Virginia-first package, and it starts with customers," said John Ketchum, chairman, president and CEO of NextEra Energy. "We are proposing to double residential bill relief from two years to four years, along with expanded low-income financial assistance and long-term affordability benefits. We are also reaffirming our support for the State Corporation Commission, Governor and General Assembly's efforts to protect residential and small business customers from costs associated with serving data centers. Just as important, this package would help Virginia build more of the clean energy and infrastructure it needs faster, so the Commonwealth can reduce its reliance on expensive imported power. And it would do that while positioning Virginia as a major energy leader, bringing NextEra Energy jobs, good-paying supplier jobs, workforce investment, economic development and national-scale energy technology and innovation to Virginia. This is the kind of customer-focused, job-creating package this combination makes possible."

"Dominion Energy Virginia will remain locally led, separately regulated and accountable to the State Corporation Commission," said Robert Blue, chair, president and CEO of Dominion Energy. "The same local teams, led by Ed Baine, that customers know and trust will continue serving the Commonwealth. This package builds on that foundation by adding NextEra Energy's scale, capital and capabilities to help support Virginia's growth while keeping customers, reliability and affordability at the center of everything we do. It brings new jobs, maintains our existing Virginia employee headcount levels for five years and positions the Commonwealth to become a global energy leader. The benefits to our customers and the Commonwealth from this combination are things we cannot deliver on our own."

Putting customers first

Under the expanded package, the companies would seek to double residential bill relief, extending $10 per month in bill credits from the previously proposed two years to four years, by working with the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to redirect the portion of credits that would otherwise go to large-scale data centers toward additional relief for residential customers and increasing the aggregate shareholder-funded Virginia customer credit amount.

The companies would also expand low-income financial assistance by increasing EnergyShare, Dominion Energy's shareholder-funded energy bill assistance program, by $100 million through 2038 and reaffirm their existing commitment to hold customers harmless from all merger costs. Customers will not pay one cent for this combination.

The companies said the package would support long-term affordability by using the combined company's scale to buy, build, finance and operate more efficiently over time, with future base rates continuing to be set by the SCC once every two years. When combined with the credits, customers are receiving long-term affordability benefits that a standalone Dominion Energy cannot offer.

The benefits of scale

The long-term customer benefits in the expanded package are grounded in NextEra Energy's operating track record and scale advantages that have translated into lower costs and stronger outcomes for customers over time. The ability to buy, build, operate and finance more efficiently helps drive affordability over the long term.

Since 2006, NextEra Energy's utility subsidiary, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), has increased customer accounts by more than 36% and generation capacity by more than 60%, while improving reliability by more than 40% and lowering bills by 20% in real dollars. Today, FPL's non-fuel operations and maintenance expense is more than 70% below the national average, its typical residential bills are 37% below the national average, and its reliability is more than 60% better than the national average, all while making investments in affordable generation to keep pace with increasing electric demand in the 14th largest economy in the world.

While Dominion Energy Virginia would remain locally led, separately regulated and accountable to the SCC, those same scale advantages and operating efficiencies are some of the core long-term benefits NextEra Energy would bring to Virginia.

Ensuring data centers pay their fair share

NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy also reaffirmed their support for the efforts of the SCC, General Assembly and Governor to protect residential and small business customers from costs associated with serving data centers.

The companies said that principle is consistent with Dominion Energy's GS-5 rate class, FPL's large-load tariff (which is one of the most protective in the nation), both companies' support for the Ratepayer Protection Pledge and Virginia's recently passed legislation, which reinforces that data centers should pay their fair share.

Building more clean energy and infrastructure faster

The expanded package would help accelerate the buildout of Virginia generation, including solar, storage, dispatchable resources and nuclear, while leveraging the combined company's existing Virginia assets, like the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center, to support reliability as the Commonwealth builds the next generation of energy infrastructure.

The companies would also leverage their combined experience, supply chain, construction platform and scale to accelerate renewable energy and storage development in accordance with the Virginia Clean Economy Act.

"Virginia should not have to choose between affordability, reliability and clean energy," Blue said. "The answer is to build affordably, build faster and build in a way that protects customers."

Making Virginia a global energy leader

The expanded package would position Virginia, anchored by Richmond and connected to communities across the Commonwealth, as a major center for the future of energy.

NextEra Energy would maintain current employee headcount levels in Virginia for five years, add 600 new NextEra Energy jobs in Virginia and work with suppliers who are expected to bring 400 additional jobs to the Commonwealth. NextEra Energy also would build, at its shareholders' expense, a new NextEra Energy office tower in Richmond beside the existing Dominion Energy headquarters building as a part of the combined company's co-headquarters to accommodate the new jobs as well as existing Dominion Energy jobs and future growth.

The new Richmond presence would support work in renewable energy development and supply chain management, battery storage operations, nuclear and small modular reactor innovation, enterprise technology and cybersecurity, among others.

The companies also would host an annual global energy summit in Virginia, bringing chief executives, investors and policymakers to focus on innovation, technology and the energy infrastructure required to power economic growth.

"Virginia already leads in technology and defense," Ketchum said. "With this combination, Virginia can also lead in energy."

Investing in Virginia workers and suppliers

The companies would contribute $100 million to directly support workforce development in Virginia. The investment would include working with union partners to support career development, hands-on training and apprenticeships and establish a newly created independent organization to operate a workforce development fund for Virginia, governed by a board drawn from the Commonwealth's trade schools, colleges, universities, technical colleges and community colleges, directed at training Virginians for the jobs this global leadership opportunity would create.

The companies would establish up to a $1 billion annual, five-year Virginia Supplier Program through spending commitments that support cost-competitive contractors, suppliers and service providers doing business in Virginia. They would use the combined company's purchasing scale to bring suppliers, vendors and engineering and construction partners into the state, expand the role of the Port of Virginia in the energy supply chain and hire local firms and workers to help build the new NextEra Energy office tower. Already, more than nine other companies intend to establish or expand their presence in Virginia if the combination is approved, bringing additional investment and good-paying jobs to the Commonwealth.

Class (B2B/B2C)
B2B
Ingest Status
Need Review
Dedupe hash
prn_302877432
Press Eligible
Yes
Press Eligible Reason
QA FAIL (need review): TARGET incorrectly narrows the workforce development fund board composition to Virginia's trade and technical schools; SOURCE states the board is drawn from trade schools, colleges, universities, technical colleges, and community colleges.
Source Name
Unknown Company
Original Summary

<p>Enhanced package would deliver long-term residential bill relief, create 1,000 new direct jobs in Virginia, accelerate clean energy development and build a new shareholder-funded co-headquarters tower for the combined company in downtown Richmond Puts customers first by doubling...</p>

Image URL
https://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS535446/nee-3CP.jpg?id=OA2945070&p=facebook
Generated Article_json
{"target_audience": "b2b", "is_medical": false, "ai_generated_title": "NextEra, Dominion Sweeten Virginia Merger Deal With 1,000 Jobs", "body_html": "<p><strong>Richmond, Va. -- [CURRENT_DATE] --</strong> NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) and Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE: D) unveiled an expanded Virginia benefits package tied to their proposed combination, doubling residential bill credits and pledging 1,000 new direct jobs in the Commonwealth.</p><h5>Companies double residential bill credits to four years</h5><p>The package extends $10-per-month residential bill credits from two years to four years by redirecting funds otherwise allocated to large-scale data centers, the companies said. Dominion Energy will also increase EnergyShare, its shareholder-funded low-income assistance program, by $100 million through 2038. Both firms reaffirmed that customers will not bear any merger costs.</p><h5>NextEra pledges 600 jobs, suppliers add 400 more</h5><p>NextEra Energy said it will add 600 new jobs in Virginia and maintain current Dominion Energy headcount for five years, while suppliers are expected to bring an additional 400 jobs to the state, totaling 1,000 new direct positions. NextEra will fund, at shareholder expense, a new office tower in Richmond adjacent to Dominion's headquarters to serve as a co-headquarters for the combined company.</p><h5>Firms commit up to $1 billion annually to Virginia suppliers</h5><p>The companies outlined a five-year, up-to-$1-billion annual Virginia Supplier Program to engage cost-competitive contractors and expand the Port of Virginia's role in the energy supply chain. A separate $100 million workforce development fund will support apprenticeships and training programs governed by a board drawn from Virginia's trade and technical schools. More than nine other companies have indicated intent to establish or expand operations in Virginia if the deal is approved, according to the companies.</p><h5>FPL track record cited to justify scale claims</h5><p>NextEra pointed to its Florida Power & Light subsidiary's performance since 2006 to support projected efficiencies: customer accounts up more than 36%, generation capacity up more than 60%, reliability improved over 40%, and bills lowered 20% in real dollars. FPL's non-fuel operations and maintenance expense is currently more than 70% below the national average, with residential bills 37% below and reliability over 60% better than the U.S. average, the companies said.</p><h5>Dominion Energy Virginia to remain separately regulated</h5><p>Dominion Energy Virginia will continue to operate under its existing leadership, led by Ed Baine, and remain accountable to the State Corporation Commission, said Robert Blue, chair, president and CEO of Dominion Energy. Future base rates will still be set by the SCC every two years, the companies confirmed.</p><h5>Companies reaffirm data center cost protections</h5><p>Both firms backed ongoing SCC, General Assembly and Governor efforts to shield residential and small-business customers from data center-related costs, citing Dominion's GS-5 rate class and FPL's large-load tariff as precedent. The companies also committed to an annual global energy summit in Virginia to convene executives, investors and policymakers on energy infrastructure and technology.</p>", "meta_description": "NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy expand Virginia merger benefits: 4-year bill credits, 1,000 new jobs, $1B supplier program and a Richmond co-headquarters tower.", "seo_keywords": "NextEra Energy, Dominion Energy, Virginia merger, residential bill credits, EnergyShare, Virginia Supplier Program, Richmond headquarters, data center costs", "companies": ["NextEra Energy", "Dominion Energy", "Florida Power & Light"], "industries": ["Energy & Environment"], "markets_regions": ["United States", "North America"], "news_type": ["merger_acquisition", "regulatory_update"], "products": [], "themes": ["energy_affordability", "job_creation", "clean_energy_transition"], "events": ["Global Energy Summit"], "cta_text": "Details on the expanded Virginia benefits package accompanying the NextEra-Dominion combination proposal", "learn_more": "", "fact_check": {"accuracy_score": 100, "legal_risk": "low", "corrections_made": [], "recommendation": "publish"}}
Content Hash (SHA-256, erste 32 hex)
631d5071be0d2eaabd36005589102baf