NextEra Energy said Monday it will acquire Dominion Energy in an all-stock deal valued at about $67 billion, combining two major utilities as electricity demand surges from AI and data center growth.
The all-stock transaction will create the "largest regulated electric utility" in the world, the companies said Monday. NextEra Energy shareholders will own approximately 74.5% of the company while Dominion shareholders will own 25.5%.
The combined company, which will operate under the name NextEra Energy, will serve around 10 million utility customers across Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, according to a statement from NextEra Energy.
The announcement comes as technology companies race to build data centers across the country to support the AI boom, driving up electricity demand at a time when consumers are already facing higher energy costs.
Electricity costs rose 6.1% in April from a year earlier, according to the latest inflation data. Virginia, one of the states the company will serve, is a data center hotspot, home to hundreds of facilities.
As part of the deal, the companies said they would offer Dominion customers in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina a total of $2.25 billion in credits over two years.
"Electricity demand is rising faster than it has in decades. Projects are getting larger and more complex," John Ketchum, president and CEO of NextEra Energy, said in a statement. "Customers need affordable and reliable power now, not years from now."
NextEra and Dominion contend that combining operations will also allow them to meet rising electricity demand while keeping customers' bills affordable, Next. However, certain groups argue that mergers give companies power to hike rates.
Ketchum, who has led NextEra Energy since 2022, will serve as the chairman and CEO of the combined company.
The deal is expected to close in mid-to-late 2027.
Edited by Aimee Picchi
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