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Va. Power parent clears acquisition hurdle

By Jeff Clabaugh

WASHINGTON — Dominion Energy’s planned $7.9 billion acquisition of SCANA Corp., a utility provider in the Carolinas and Georgia, has cleared one hurdle: The Federal Trade Commission has signed off on the deal.

South Carolina Electric & Gas Company is a SCANA subsidiary.

The merger would make Dominion a utility with 6.5 million customers in eight states from Connecticut to California.

Dominion said it expects the acquisition to close in 2018, although it still needs approval of SCANA shareholders, approval of Public Service Commissions in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia, and authorization of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Dominion is already one of the largest energy utility companies in the U.S., with more than 16,000 employees delivering natural gas and electricity to nearly 5 million homes and businesses. It also owns one of the nation’s largest natural gas storage systems.

Dominion and SCANA have offered incentives aimed at winning approval including a $1.3 billion cash payment to South Carolina Electric & Cass customers and a 5 percent rate reduction for SCE&G residential customers.

Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

By The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state's lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a profit and that its actions affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms. “We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state's claim has nothing to do the company's algorithms or failure to moderate content. Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.
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