By admin 
Leading candidates for governor differ on what actions they would hypothetically take to ensure customers in South Carolina get a good deal on the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and another large utility.
Read more Seventh grader found with weapon at South Carolina middle school, sheriff says
The merger between Dominion and Florida-based NextEra would ensure energy availability and give South Carolina customers an average $10 monthly discount for two years, the utilities argue in regulatory filings. But some, including environmental groups, worry the merger could result in higher power bills in the long term.
Regulators will likely make a decision on whether to allow the merger in the first weeks of the new governor’s tenure since the state Public Service Commission allowed a six-month deadline for deliberation. Attorney General Alan Wilson, the Republican nominee, and state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, the Democratic candidate, are split on how they would hypothetically handle the proposed merger.
Wilson said he has spoken with NextEra and Dominion leadership but wasn’t sure how he would be involved in the merger as governor.
“I want to have further conversations with NextEra on what that merger actually looks like,” Wilson said Sept. 21. “But keeping us energy independent, keeping us affordable and investing in state infrastructure and workforce development are my priorities when it comes to anything involving energy.”
Johnson said he would have “absolutely” intervened in the merger case before the state Public Service Commission. Intervening gives individuals access to more information about the deal and ability to formally voice opinions.
Johnson said he expects the merger to be “another problem” for ratepayers.
“I think it’s going to create another big monopoly in South Carolina, and I think it’s going to be some individuals kind of just telling us what we’re going to pay, rather than working with us about what’s reasonable for us to pay,” Johnson said.
Pressure from policymakers in Virginia led to Dominion Energy and NextEra expanding benefits for residential customers in the state, including doubling the average $10 monthly discount from being applied for two years to four years, according to a news release.
In Virginia, Gov. Abigail Spanberger intervened in the merger, describing the state’s regulators future decision as one “that could shape energy affordability in the commonwealth for decades,” in an August editorial.
“As a Virginian, I am deeply skeptical about whether selling our primary, state-regulated utility to an out-of-state company is good for the commonwealth. I have serious questions about what this deal would mean for us,” Spanberger wrote.
Read more Seventh grader found with weapon at South Carolina middle school, sheriff says
South Carolina is a much smaller part of the $67 billion deal than Virginia, but if the merger goes through, 820,000 customers could be impacted in the state.
Both Johnson and Wilson say they would aim to make South Carolina more affordable for residents, which includes lowering energy bills.
Johnson said he would push to increase competition for utilities in South Carolina, allowing residents to pick their provider.
“We want to increase competition in the state, and why will we stop short of our power companies and our power consumption? I think we need to increase competition and have more small energy producers here,” Johnson said in an interview Aug. 27.
Wilson also said affordability, including for power bills, would be a priority for him as governor.
Average electric bills grew in the last year for Dominion Energy and Duke Energy customers in South Carolina, according to state Office of Regulatory Staff reports.
For , the average household electric bill in July was about $171. That’s an increase from July 2025, when the average cost was about $157.
State regulators settled on a rate increase for Dominion Energy earlier this year, which raised residential customer bills by about $12 a month. Santee Cooper is also considering an increase for its customers.
Read more SC has one of the highest traffic fatality rates in US, study says. Here’s how bad