Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi is taking the wait-and-see approach of Gov. Abigail Spanberger to the proposed NextEra-Dominion merger to the woodshed, announcing on Tuesday that she is opposed to the merger of the two energy giants.
Hashmi, who was quietly elected to the #2 spot in state government last fall on Spanberger’s coattails, has taken the lead on opposing the proposed $67 billion merger, which she is going public with on the heels of a five-city listening tour.
More information
- A full Energy Costs Listening Tour Report is available at VAEnergyTour.com.
“Virginians are already struggling with the cost of keeping the lights on, and they deserve certainty that this takeover will not leave them paying even more,” Hashmi said, in a statement released on Tuesday by her office. “After listening to Virginians from different backgrounds across the Commonwealth and closely reviewing this proposal, I have concluded that it does not provide the protections Virginians demand and should not be approved.”
The month-long listening tour included stops in Loudoun County, Norfolk, Richmond, Charlottesville and Roanoke.
The tour was an extension of Virginia’s Voices, a community engagement and outreach initiative launched by Hashmi in January to create more opportunities for Virginians to be heard directly on issues affecting their lives and communities.
“Virginia’s largest utility serves customers who cannot simply choose another provider,” Hashmi said. “That makes the stakes of this decision extraordinarily high. Virginians should not be asked to accept permanent risks in exchange for temporary promises. The risks are too great and the protections are not enough. This takeover should not move forward.”
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Chris Graham
