Vienna-area Dominion Energy customers have one chance to testify in person in Northern Virginia about the proposed $67 billion merger between Dominion and NextEra Energy. The hearing is Friday, Oct. 9, at the Fairfax County Government Center.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) scheduled the hearing for 6 to 8 p.m. in the Board Auditorium at 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax. No advance registration is required. Speakers must arrive at least 15 minutes before the 6 p.m. start and notify SCC staff that they want to testify, according to Fairfax County.

Each person gets two minutes.

The Fairfax hearing is the only one of three in-person sessions held in Northern Virginia, the Virginia Mercury reported. The other two are in Newport News and Richmond. The Mercury described the regional hearings as an unusual step by the SCC, which typically holds in-person hearings only for infrastructure projects affecting a specific community.

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, whose district includes Vienna, said he requested the SCC hold in-person hearings on the merger in August. "I'm glad they agreed!" Alcorn wrote on X on Monday, Oct. 5.

Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said on X on Sept. 2 that multiple Fairfax County Board of Supervisors members signed a letter supporting in-person hearings on the merger.

What the merger means

Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy filed the merger petition with the SCC on July 15, as FFXnow reported. NextEra, based in Juno Beach, Florida, calls itself North America's largest electric power and energy infrastructure company. If approved, the combined company would serve roughly 10 million utility customers across Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

In September, the companies sweetened their offer to Virginia. They proposed extending a $10 monthly residential bill credit to four years instead of two, adding 600 new jobs and building a shareholder-funded co-headquarters tower in downtown Richmond, FFXnow reported.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger formally intervened in the SCC case in August, becoming the first Virginia governor to do so. Spanberger said in an August statement that she remained skeptical of the merger's benefits, particularly if they came at the expense of affordability, existing jobs or clean energy goals, FFXnow reported.

Attorney General Jay Jones called on the SCC in September to restart the 180-day review clock to allow more time to evaluate the amended proposal. The SCC had not ruled on that request as of late September, the Mercury reported.

How to weigh in

Residents who cannot attend Friday's hearing have other options. The deadline to register for phone testimony is Nov. 2. Written comments can be submitted online through Nov. 9 at the SCC's case page for PUR-2026-00112.

The SCC's evidentiary hearing involving case participants begins Nov. 17 in Richmond. A final decision could come by Jan. 11, 2027, based on the 180-day review period from the July 15 filing.