AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.How an Ambitious Energy Giant Wielded Political Power in FloridaNextEra, which is seeking to buy Dominion Energy, has often butted heads with consumer groups, residents and journalists in its home state.A Dominion Energy power plant near Davis, W.Va. NextEra Energy’s political activities are expected to be scrutinized as it seeks approval of its purchase of Dominion.Credit...Ulysse Bellier/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesMay 29, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ETNextEra Energy is known in its home state, Florida, as a political force whose tactics have sometimes put it at odds with regulators, residents, consumer groups and news organizations.Now, with a proposed takeover of Dominion Energy, it wants to become the nation’s largest utility and power company.NextEra’s sharp-elbowed approach in Florida has spilled into public view in lawsuits and public documents. In 2023, a group of shareholders sued the company in federal court, claiming that its political activities put their investments at risk by causing a sharp drop in its stock price.The lawsuit said NextEra or consultants it had hired might have violated election laws, spied on journalists and engaged in dubious tactics in an effort to acquire a city-owned utility. And the lawsuit questioned whether executives at the power company had been honest about those efforts.NextEra has said it conducted two separate reviews of the claims that “concluded without findings of unlawful conduct.” And it argued that the shareholders had failed to show that statements by its executives “were made with intent to deceive or caused shareholders any losses.”The District Court dismissed the lawsuit, but a federal appeals court reinstated it in November. The shareholders and the company have told the District Court that they expect to submit a settlement by June 15 for the court’s approval.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT