Word for the good guys who oppose the Next Era-Dominion merger: Good luck

The Florida-based energy conglomerate that wants to buy Dominion Energy isn’t afraid to play dirty to get its way.

And they’re go-o-o-od at it, too.

NextEra Energy, which announced a proposed $66.8 billion all-stock deal to purchase Dominion on Monday, had to publicly distance itself from the CEO of its Florida Power & Light subsidiary, Eric Silagy, who was forced to retire in 2023 amid a run of reports that it had engaged in election manipulation, the outright purchase of favorable media coverage and shady surveillance of journalists who were critical of the company.

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ICYMI

• NextEra Energy wants to buy Dominion Energy: This one’s about data centers, AI

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Don’t feel bad for Eric Silagy here.

Silagy, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2019 to a term on the State University System of Florida, was tied, by reporting from the Orlando Sentinel and the Miami Herald, to a group of consultants who spent millions of dollars – in what became known as the “ghost” candidate scandal – to push Florida Power & Light’s political goals.

The money backed five spoiler candidates in State Senate and county commission races in 2018 and 2020, and efforts to oppose a ballot initiative that would have deregulated Florida’s energy market.

It was also reported that Florida Power & Light’s consulting firm paid a veteran ABC News freelance journalist to try to trip up politicians on camera who took stances opposed to the energy company’s interests.

NextEra washed its hands of Silagy, who has also moved on – he now works for the real-estate business of Trump megadonor Stephen M. Ross, the owner of the Miami Dolphins.

This is why you don’t need to feel bad for Eric Silagy.

People like that always land on their feet.

This is what the people philosophically opposed to the NextEra-Dominion deal are going up against.

The opponents have been stressing how the deal still needs approval from state and federal regulators, that the process is expected to take 12-18 months, and that those who are actively opposing the massive data center buildout will use the regulatory process to their political advantage.

They’re going up against real people with the blackest of black hats who have perfected using the process to political advantage.

Good luck.