Richmond power bills will rise by double digits in January

State of play: Last week, the State Corporation Commission okayed a monthly increase of $11.24 on Dominion Energy customers' base rate for 2026.

• And another $2.36 a month hike starting in January 2027.
• Those bumps are 23.7% and 51.2%, respectively, lower than what Dominion requested, the SCC noted.

The intrigue: Dominion had said it needed the rate increases to cover its rising infrastructure costs for things like poles and wires, something the regulatory commissioners acknowledged in their decision, Cardinal News reports.

Meanwhile, the SCC last week also approved Dominion's proposal to create a new rate class for data centers, requiring they and other large-scale electricity users pay a higher rate due to their outsized energy needs.

• The new rate will go into effect in January 2027 and is intended "to help insulate ratepayers from the costs" of data centers, per the SCC.

Zoom out: Dominion has 2.5 million Virginia customers.