Richmond wants to intervene in the Dominion merger. But the Council needs a do-over vote
The Richmond City Council held a special meeting Tuesday to fast-track a vote on having the city formally intervene in the pending merger between Dominion and Florida-based NextEra Energy.
The special meeting didn’t go as planned. The Council introduced a resolution to have Richmond intervene in the complex energy regulatory decision pending at the State Corporation Commission. But the proposal didn’t advance to a vote for procedural reasons, casting doubt over whether the body will be able to hit a looming deadline for outside parties to file notice with the SCC saying they want to formally weigh in.
Three Council members weren’t in their seats for a vote on whether the body should take up the proposal on an expedited basis. Two others abstained, apparently due to concerns about bringing the topic on short notice coming out of Labor Day weekend. That left only four votes in favor of fast-tracking the resolution, which wasn’t enough for it to advance to a final, same-day vote on Tuesday.
There was no public discussion by the Council after the move failed, and no discussion on what might happen next. The Council proceeded as if the resolution would be taken up at a future meeting. However, the SCC’s deadline to intervene is Friday.
The resolution was initially sponsored by Council President Cynthia Newbille (7th District) and Mayor Danny Avula.
After Tuesday’s meeting, Newbille said there’s still a window for the Council to act and that she was working on a plan to do just that. That could include the calling of an emergency meeting later this week that would give the Council a chance for a do-over.
The Council has a committee meeting scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, and Council leaders appear to be planning to have their second special meeting of the week at that time.
Even if the city misses the deadline for intervenor status, Richmond officials could still file less-formal public comments later in the process.
Councilors Reva Trammell (8th District) and Kenya Gibson (3rd District) were the two members who abstained.
Trammell told The Richmonder she wanted more time to consider what the Council was being asked to vote on, as well as an opportunity to potentially ask Dominion representatives about it.
“I didn’t see anybody there,” Trammell said.
Councilors Ellen Robertson (6th District), Sarah Abubaker (4th District) and Stephanie Lynch (5th District) weren’t present for the procedural vote.
The pending resolution wouldn’t give Richmond any binding authority over whether the merger goes through. Instead, it creates a more formal process for Richmond officials to gather information and advocate for the city’s interests as both a major electricity customer and the home of Dominion’s headquarters.
The Council’s resolution states “the City of Richmond has a critical interest in the outcome of this proceeding because this acquisition would create the world’s largest regulated electric utility, with one of two headquarters in the City, potentially impacting rates and service to all Richmond residents and to the City itself.”
It’s not yet clear what Richmond would say if city officials intervene in the matter. Joining the case is an initial step allowing the city to opine later as the review progresses.
“This action is the formal mechanism for having a seat at the table so that we can best advocate for Richmond residents and ratepayers,” Avula said in a statement issued before Tuesday’s Council meeting where the resolution failed to advance. “I look forward to engaging in the process and learning more.”
After Tuesday's meeting, the mayor's office said it was awaiting next steps from the Council.
Fairfax County and the city of Alexandria are already listed as participants in the SCC case. Arlington County has also voted to intervene.
The localities are among a long list of other participants with an interest in the outcome, such as Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Google, the attorney general’s office, Walmart and several environmental groups such as Clean Virginia, Appalachian Voices and the Sierra Club.
Richmond’s annual electricity costs currently stand at around $18.7 million.
Dominion is one of the region’s largest employers, with about 5,500 Richmond employees. NextEra has signaled Richmond-based workers will have about 18 months of job security if the deal goes through. After that, it’s unclear how big the local footprint might be for the combined company.
The SCC has until January 2027 to review the case.
Contact Reporter Graham Moomaw at gmoomaw@richmonder.org
Dominion Energy is a sponsor of The Richmonder but was not allowed to influence or review this story. Read our policies here.
