Category: The Center Square
Advocacy group seeks answers in Dominion merger
(The Center Square) – A Virginia advocacy group is asking regulators to require Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy to provide additional information as the State Corporation Commission reviews their proposed merger. Clean Virginia filed a motion to compel Tuesday, arguing the companies have not fully answered questions involving enforcement of merger conditions, competition, costs to…
Virginia economy grows as job losses continue
(The Center Square) – Virginia’s economy is projected to grow in 2026 even as employment declines for a second straight year, according to a new forecast from the University of Virginia. The August forecast from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service projects Virginia’s real gross domestic product will grow 0.5% this year while employment…
Virginia lawmakers seek longer Dominion merger review
(The Center Square) – Fourteen Democratic lawmakers are asking first-year Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger to call a special session to give regulators more time to review the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy. In a letter dated Monday, the lawmakers said the State Corporation Commission’s current review timeline does not give regulators enough…
Cumberland panel backs Dominion gas plant
(The Center Square) – Dominion Energy’s proposed 3,000-megawatt power plant moved a step closer to local approval Monday after Cumberland County planning commissioners backed the project. The Planning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend approval of a conditional use permit for the Cumberland Energy Center and voted 6-0 to find the project substantially in accord with…
Education leaders react to $17B Meta settlement
(The Center Square) – Education leaders and lawmakers are weighing in after a bipartisan coalition of 47 state attorneys general announced a $17 billion settlement with Meta Platforms Inc., over allegations that the company harmed children and teens through its social media platforms. The lawsuit was filed in 2023. The state attorneys general argued that…
Virginia panel moves toward self-driving vehicle rule
(The Center Square) – Virginia is moving closer to setting rules for commercial self-driving vehicles after a work group wrapped up its final meeting Friday. Members of the Autonomous Driving Work Group agreed to move forward with draft legislation for the 2027 General Assembly session after two years and two administrations. The group has been…
Virginia targets grid costs holding up public solar projects
(The Center Square) – Virginia is launching a new grant program aimed at helping local governments and school divisions cover grid connection costs that can delay or derail public solar projects. Lawmakers set aside $2 million for the Solar Interconnection Grant Program, which opened for applications Monday through the Virginia Department of Energy. The program…
Virginia infrastructure holds at C in new report
(The Center Square) – Virginia earned an overall C for its infrastructure in a new report, with energy, schools and wastewater among the lowest-rated areas despite billions of dollars in recent state and federal investment. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2026 infrastructure report card gave Virginia B+ grades for bridges and broadband, the highest…
Trump administration sends Virginia $122M for rural health
(The Center Square) – Virginia is getting $122 million in federal funding for rural health care as hospitals across rural parts of the Commonwealth continue to struggle with staffing shortages, rising costs and financial pressure. The Trump administration announced the funding Friday through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program. The money will go toward expanding…
Virginia Attorney General creates unit to challenge federal actions
(The Center Square) – Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is creating a four-attorney unit dedicated to challenging actions by the Trump administration that his office says exceed federal authority or threaten the commonwealth’s interests. The Federal Accountability Unit will work across the Office of the Solicitor General and Civil Litigation Division and will be led…
