The proposed merger of Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy has moved another step forward as the South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC) allows additional state officials and organizations to participate in the regulatory review.
On Aug. 6, the PSC granted requests from South Carolina House Speaker Murrell Smith, Senate President Thomas Alexander, the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs and the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center to participate in the proceeding. Other agencies have also been permitted to participate.
The regulatory process will include a discovery period, similar to the information-gathering phase of a trial, followed by hearings expected to take place this fall. The PSC is expected to issue a final decision in January 2027.
The proposed merger, first announced in May, would combine two of the nation’s largest energy companies and create what the companies describe as the world’s largest regulated energy utility. The combined company would serve nearly 10 million customers across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Florida.
Under the proposed structure, the combined company’s operational headquarters would be based in Juno Beach, Florida, and Richmond, Virginia, operating under the NextEra name. Dominion Energy would retain its operations center in Cayce.
The PSC’s review will determine whether the proposed transaction meets South Carolina’s regulatory requirements and serves the interests of the state’s utility customers.
