A proposed merger between two utility giants could have big implications for the future of nuclear power in New England.NextEra Energy, the owner of New Hampshire’s Seabrook Nuclear Power Station, announced plans last month to acquire Dominion Energy, the owner of Connecticut’s Millstone Nuclear Power Station, in a deal worth nearly $67 billion.If approved, the sale would create one of the world’s largest utility companies with control over all of the nuclear power produced in New England.That power accounts for roughly one-quarter of the region’s energy supply, and half of all of its carbon-free power, according to data from ISO New England, the regional grid operator. NextEra also owns solar, battery and natural-gas fired power plants throughout the region.The proposed sale was announced in May, several months after Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, or DEEP, launched its latest round of clean energy procurements from power plant operators, including Millstone and Seabrook. At the direction of the state, utilities currently purchase power from both plants through contracts that are set to expire in 2029.
As the result of a state law passed in 2024, DEEP is required to coordinate with at least two other New England states on contracts to purchase nuclear power.
