Happy Friday!

May 29, 2026

This week, the Energy Right team went across the Commonwealth, engaging with local officials,
residents, and project stakeholders on a range of energy topics. We attended a meeting for a proposed solar project in Gloucester, discussed battery energy storage ordinance development in Southampton, and attended a community meeting on proposed battery storage project in Chesapeake. The importance of community engagement, thoughtful planning, and informed decision-making is at an all-time high as Virginia navigates the new legislation and solar demands.

The Nextera / Dominion Merger & What Could Be

Last week, Dominion Energy and NextEra announced a proposed merger that could reshape the future of clean energy development in Virginia. Much of the early conversation has centered on market power and utility consolidation, as the merger of these two companies would create the world’s largest electric utility, with about 110 gigawatts of combined power capacity. However, an important piece of what this merger could mean in the long term is not being discussed as feverishly. NextEra has built its reputation as one of the world’s largest developers of renewable energy, particularly in utility-scale solar and battery storage. By combining the breadth of knowledge in the solar and battery industries with
Dominion’s growing service territory, existing generation portfolio, and rising energy demand in Virginia, this merger could accelerate clean energy investment throughout the Commonwealth. 

For ratepayers in Virginia, the questions seem to be swirling around what this may mean for affordability. And while that will take some time to realize, it is possible that a larger utility with greater access to capital and expertise in clean energy technologies could enable more rapid construction of lower-cost renewable energy generation, such as solar and battery storage. With rising demand and increased costs to ratepayers, solar and battery storage projects can often be deployed faster and at lower costs than many traditional generation sources, which may help the potential new utility avoid some of the fuel price volatility that has historically contributed to rising electric bills.

For local governments, this merger could change siting debates in Virginia. If the potential combined company does, in fact, look to aggressively expand solar and battery storage development, counties may face increasing pressure to balance local land-use concerns with the economic opportunities these projects provide. Clean energy projects can generate substantial new tax revenue for schools, emergency services, and infrastructure while placing limited strain on public services compared to many other forms of industrial development. 

As Virginia works to meet growing energy demand, the Dominion-NextEra merger may ultimately intensify a broader debate already taking shape across the Commonwealth: how to expand reliable domestic energy production while still preserving meaningful local input over where and how projects are built. While this is speculation and the impacts of this merger are yet to be seen and likely won’t be seen for quite some time, Energy Right is poised to continue our role in engaging with counties, answering questions around clean energy development, and ensuring that clean energy technologies are developed responsibly, with property rights, local control, and economic impacts at the forefront. 

What We’re Thinking

Solar & Storage: 365-24/7 Energy?

Solar generation is no longer being viewed as an “intermittent” resource in the same way it was even five years ago. As battery storage technology continues to improve and costs continue to fall, the conversation is shifting from whether solar can contribute meaningful power to whether solar-plus-storage can become a dependable backbone for portions of the grid. The latest report from Ember, a global energy think tank, reinforces what many developers, utilities, and localities are already beginning to recognize firsthand: pairing large-scale solar with battery storage is fundamentally changing how renewable energy projects are designed, financed, and integrated into the grid.

Traditionally, critics of solar pointed to nighttime generation gaps and cloudy weather as evidence that renewables could never provide dependable electricity around the clock. However, Ember demonstrates that in many regions, solar paired with batteries can now provide stable electricity supply for the overwhelming majority of hours in a year at costs that are increasingly competitive with, and in many cases cheaper than, new coal or nuclear generation.

We are also seeing how battery storage changes the economics and logistics of grid infrastructure itself. One of the most important observations from the report is that storage can help maximize existing transmission and interconnection capacity by smoothing out when electricity is delivered to the grid. In practical terms, that means communities and utilities may be able to integrate substantially more solar generation without immediately requiring the same scale of expensive transmission expansion projects.

Where We Went

FROM THE ROAD

On Wednesday, the Energy Right team attended a community meeting in Chesapeake for a proposed 150 MW
battery energy storage project. During the meeting, members of the development team gave in-depth overviews of the project, highlighting the proposed site layout, safety standards, proffered conditions, and general information about battery storage technology and how the system functions. The meeting also gave community members an opportunity to ask questions, share feedback, and learn more about the role battery storage can play in strengthening grid reliability and supporting Virginia’s growing energy needs.

WHAT NEXT?

Recent News

Dominion Energy’s proposed merger with NextEra Energy could reshape the energy landscape across the
Southeast, creating the nation’s largest regulated utility while serving roughly 10 million customers. The companies say the deal would improve purchasing power, strengthen credit ratings, and create long-term efficiencies, paired with an initial $2.25 billion bill credit package for customers if approved.

The merger comes as Virginia faces rapidly rising electricity demand driven by data centers and economic growth. Dominion’s obligations under the Virginia Clean Economy Act and major projects like offshore wind and new generation buildout would remain unchanged. The proposal now faces extensive regulatory review, with supporters pointing to affordability gains and critics raising questions about competition, oversight, and impacts on ratepayers.

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