新英格蘭各州州長聯袂呼籲聯邦政府嚴審能源公司新紀元收購道明尼案

    (Boston Orange編譯)麻州州長奚莉（Maura Healey）和新英格蘭各州發表聲明，呼籲聯邦聯邦能源事業管制委員會（FERC）嚴格審查新紀元能源（NextEra Energy）收購道明尼能源（Dominion Energy）案，嚴防市場過度集中引發電價上漲、損害競爭與供電穩定。

    若併購案獲准，新公司將控制新英格蘭地區僅存的兩座核電廠，掌控這地區近四分之一的電力供應。麻州公用事業局（DPU）與總檢察長坎貝爾（Andrea Joy Campbell）辦公室已正式向 FERC 遞交干預聲明（motions to intervene），將代表消費者參與監管調查，防止民眾負擔加重。

    新英格蘭各州能源委員會（NESCOE）指出兩家公司過往記錄不良。NextEra 曾斥資 2,000 萬美元阻撓「新英格蘭清潔能源連接（New England Clean Energy Connect）」項目，緬因州倫理委員會（Maine Ethics Commission）隨後更因反對團體隱瞞 NextEra 資助而開罰，其子公司亦曾因收取未施工項目的費用遭判退款；Dominion 則曾以關閉密爾斯通核電廠（Millstone Power Station）威脅康乃狄克州（Connecticut）簽署長期合約。

    奚莉州長強調，這些業者以前屢次推高電價並阻礙建設基礎設施，若放行合併案將形成掌控權過大的局面，政府必須在聯邦層級出手干預，全力守護在地民眾與企業權益。

Governor Healey, New England Governors Sound Alarm Over Proposed Energy Merger

States call for close federal scrutiny of proposed NextEra-Dominion merger and potential impacts on costs, competition, and reliability

BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey joined other New England states in raising serious concerns about NextEra Energy’s proposed acquisition of Dominion Energy and its impact on costs. If approved, the merger would give the company significant control over energy resources in New England and across the country. In New England, the combined company would own the region’s two remaining nuclear power plants that supply nearly a quarter of New England’s electricity. 

The states, through the New England States Committee on Electricity (NESCOE), are calling for careful federal review of the merger and its potential impacts on electricity costs, competition, and reliability.

“I have serious concerns about the impacts of the NextEra-Dominion merger on families and businesses that are already paying too much for energy,” said Governor Healey. “NextEra has a troubling record of driving up energy bills and preventing Massachusetts from building the energy infrastructure we need to power our communities. This merger would give this company tremendous leverage over our energy future. Federal regulators need to closely scrutinize what this would mean for customer bills, competition, and the reliability of our energy system. My administration will be intervening at the federal level to defend our communities from higher energy bills.”

In the joint statement, New England states called out both companies for past actions that drove up energy costs in the region. NextEra spent $20 million to block the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line, delaying the project for years. The Maine Ethics Commission ultimately fined two opposition groups for failing to disclose NextEra’s financial backing. Further, a NextEra subsidiary was ordered to refund millions after charging ratepayers for a proposed transmission project that was never built. Additionally, Dominion Energy pressured Connecticut to enter into a long-term agreement after threatening to close Millstone Power Station.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) and the Attorney General’s Office have both filed motions to intervene in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) proceeding overseeing the merger. The Healey-Driscoll Administration is working with NESCOE on next steps.

“On behalf of Massachusetts ratepayers, my office is closely reviewing this proposed merger and evaluating its potential impact on retail ratemaking, resource adequacy, and wholesale market operations,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “The size and scope of these companies' existing portfolios, along with their historical business practices, raise significant questions. My office intends to participate in the open FERC proceeding and continue to advocate before federal regulators to protect the interests of Massachusetts residents.”