Virginia examiner orders Dominion and NextEra to release merger documents

A hearing examiner for the Virginia State Corporation Commission has ordered Dominion Energy and NextEra to release documents previously withheld during the review of their $67 billion merger request.

Among the required documents is the “Robo memo,” which reportedly details an investigation into alleged illegal political activity by Florida Power & Light (FPL). James Robo, the former CEO of NextEra and parent company of FPL, retired in 2022.

The ruling follows a motion to compel discovery filed by advocacy groups Clean Virginia and the Piedmont Environmental Council. The examiner determined that the governance and political structures of the two utilities are relevant to the merger review and subject to scrutiny. The disclosure comes during the discovery phase ahead of an evidentiary hearing scheduled for next month.