Virginia State Corporation Commission Chair Kelsey Bagot is a former Senior Attorney at NextEra Energy, Inc. She was appointed to the SCC by the Virginia General Assembly in January 2024 (term: April 1, 2024 – January 31, 2030). She previously served as Legal Advisor to FERC Commissioner Mark Christie. CONFIRMED RECUSAL — MARL PROJECT: On April 9, 2026, Bagot issued a formal recusal notice in Case No. PUR-2026-00018 (NextEra Energy Transmission Virginia — Frederick County 500kV 'MidAtlantic Resiliency Link' line). Her notice stated she 'previously provided legal services to the MidAtlantic Resiliency Link Project in 2023.' Document confirmed: scc.virginia.gov/docketsearch/DOCS/8blf01!.PDF. She recused correctly from MARL. The question is: what else did she work on at NextEra before her appointment? NEXTERA-DOMINION MERGER (May 2026): NextEra Energy announced acquisition of Dominion Energy on May 18, 2026 — which would create the largest regulated utility in the world. The SCC must approve this merger. Virginia State Senator Russet Perry (D-31) publicly called for Bagot's recusal on May 28, 2026: 'Given the extraordinary scale and significance of this proposed acquisition, I trust that commitment will continue to guide any SCC proceedings related to this transaction.' SCC spokesman Greg Weatherford said it would be 'speculative' to comment since no application has been filed yet. NextEra is expected to file the SCC application in July 2026. Source: Utility Dive, May 28, 2026. CASES WHERE BAGOT MAY HAVE HAD AN UNDISCLOSED CONFLICT: 1. PUR-2025-00032 — Culpeper Technology Zone Transmission (Dominion): $253.7M upgrade for DataBank, Stack, and Copper Ridge data centers. SCC approved September 2025. Dominion is NextEra's merger target. Did Bagot vote? 2. PUR-2025-00058 — Dominion 2025 Biennial Rate Review: SCC began hearing September 2, 2025. Loudoun Now confirmed 'Judges Kelsey Baggot [sic]' presided. Bagot participated in a major Dominion rate case. Dominion is now NextEra's merger target. Were merger discussions privately underway before the May 18 public announcement? 3. PUR-2025-00076 — Dominion Transmission Rate Increase: SCC authorized increase in May 2025, directly funding the Culpeper Tech Zone transmission upgrade. Did Bagot vote? VALLEY LINK — TRIPLE-LAYER CONFLICT: When the Valley Link Transmission CPCN is filed at the SCC (expected September 2026), Bagot will be the presiding Chair. Valley Link is a Dominion joint venture. NextEra is acquiring Dominion. Bagot worked for NextEra and recused herself from MARL (a different NextEra project). She has expressly promised recusal from NextEra matters. Once NextEra acquires Dominion, Valley Link becomes a NextEra matter. The argument for mandatory recusal is: (a) prior NextEra employment, (b) prior MARL recusal setting precedent, (c) pending NextEra-Dominion merger announced before the Valley Link filing. LEGAL STANDARD: Virginia Code of Judicial Conduct Canon 3 requires recusal when a judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned or when they previously represented a party in the same or related matter. ACTION ITEMS: 1. Virginia Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission complaint: jirc.virginia.gov | 100 N. 9th Street Suite 510, Richmond VA 23219 | (804) 786-6638 2. Formal SCC filing requesting a published list of all cases where Bagot participated vs. recused 3. FERC FOIA for any Dominion/NextEra pre-merger communications filed before May 18, 2026 — if merger talks were underway while Bagot voted on Dominion rate cases, the conflict was present and undisclosed 4. File formal recusal motion the moment Valley Link CPCN is docketed at SCC Sources: SCC official biography (scc.virginia.gov/about-the-commissioners); SCC docket PUR-2026-00018 recusal notice (scc.virginia.gov/docketsearch/DOCS/8blf01!.PDF); Utility Dive May 28, 2026; Loudoun Now 2025; Ballotpedia (Bagot profile); Loudoun Times-Mirror January 2024.
Request access to unlock the raw community evidence, claimant names, addresses, and contact info — conflict-checked and approved by CaseLock.
Request Access — $49