NEWS: Virginia regulators are urging state judges to reject the Dominion-NextEra merger…unless the companies make some changes.

The reasoning: Under state law, Dominion and NextEra must prove that the merger won’t hamper their ability to charge “just and reasonable rates.” The issue? Combining with NextEra would expose Dominion to more “financial and business risks,” the VA Corporation Commission Staff wrote. 

Yes, but: The staff would support the merger with more safeguards in place. They recommend that Dominion: 1) Set up an independent board of directors and 2) maintain in-state employee levels for at least a decade. VA Gov. Abigail Spanberger chimed in, calling for a six-year residential base rate freeze.

What’s next: The final say lies with the commission’s judges. And, as former Virginia SCC Chairman Mark Christie noted on LinkedIn, the judges “often make decisions that are contrary to Staff positions.”