Headshot of Virginia Mercury reporter, Shannon Heckt.

Shannon Heckt

[email protected]

Shannon Heckt is an energy and environment reporter for the Virginia Mercury and is based in Richmond. She has seven years of reporting experience in Nebraska and Louisiana. Her previous experience is in the broadcast industry where she worked for several television stations. She is well known for her coverage of the Louisiana Legislature and disaster recovery. Shannon is a proud graduate of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. She's excited to call Virginia home and explore all it has to offer.

Wittman seeks to keep 1st District seat, as Democratic challengers face crowded primary
Virginia

Wittman seeks to keep 1st District seat, as Democratic challengers face crowded primary

5:28am ET
Shannon Heckt
After a grueling redistricting battle that spanned months and cost millions, the congressional district lines Virginia adopted in 2021 remain in place as Democratic contenders line up to challenge longtime Republican incumbent Robb Wittman in this fall’s race to represent...
After Ashland dam removal, freshwater mussel species reintroduced to South Anna River
Virginia

After Ashland dam removal, freshwater mussel species reintroduced to South Anna River

Jun 05, 2026
Shannon Heckt
For about 200 years the Ashland Mill Dam, about a half-hour north of Richmond, blocked many fish from moving through the South Anna River. Without fish like herring to attach their larvae to, a freshwater mussel species known as the...
Virginia farmers talk meat production, fertilizer costs with USDA officials
Virginia

Virginia farmers talk meat production, fertilizer costs with USDA officials

Jun 04, 2026
Shannon Heckt
United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy traveled to Doswell Wednesday to meet with Virginia farmers and meat producers and discuss the challenges they face – and what the federal...
Valley Link unveils reworked routes for high-voltage transmission line
Virginia

Valley Link unveils reworked routes for high-voltage transmission line

Jun 02, 2026
Shannon Heckt
Valley Link Transmission has released a new set of potential routes for the controversial project ahead of the first public meetings across the nine-county region that may be impacted by the 765 kilovolt, 115-mile transmission line. The power line will...
What’s in the water? What we know and don’t know about data center water discharge in Virginia
Virginia

What’s in the water? What we know and don’t know about data center water discharge in Virginia

Jun 01, 2026
Shannon Heckt
Data centers require a massive amount of water to cool their systems, which heat up as they process digital information through numerous computers and network servers. Systems that aren’t “closed loop” have to cycle out water that doesn’t evaporate. Most...
May rains help ease Virginia drought, but dry conditions persist
Virginia

May rains help ease Virginia drought, but dry conditions persist

Jun 01, 2026
Shannon Heckt
Many parts of Virginia ended May with soaking rains after reports showed 80% of the state was experiencing “severe drought” conditions. While the rain that moved through much of the state helped ease some of the dryness, the drought remains...
SELC appeals to state supreme court over SCC approval of Dominion’s Chesterfield gas plant
Virginia

SELC appeals to state supreme court over SCC approval of Dominion’s Chesterfield gas plant

May 27, 2026
Shannon Heckt
The Southern Environmental Law Center, representing the Chesterfield County branch of the NAACP, Appalachian Voices, and Mothers Out Front, on Wednesday filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Virginia over state regulators’ approval of Dominion Energy’s Chesterfield Energy Reliability...
Virginia joins lawsuit to block EPA rollback of emission standards
Virginia

Virginia joins lawsuit to block EPA rollback of emission standards

May 26, 2026
Shannon Heckt
Attorney General Jay Jones has joined 13 other attorneys general in a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its proposal to repeal emissions standards for ethylene oxide, or EtO — a chemical often used by commercial sterilization facilities...
Va. congressmen file energy cost transparency, data center attack protections bills
Virginia

Va. congressmen file energy cost transparency, data center attack protections bills

May 22, 2026
Shannon Heckt
As utility costs surge and the proposed Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy merger could mean a change in energy policies, U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Woodbridge, this week proposed two bills to heighten electricity rates transparency. Another Virginia congressional representative, U.S...
Chesapeake Bay sees increase in juvenile blue crabs, drop in adult females
Virginia

Chesapeake Bay sees increase in juvenile blue crabs, drop in adult females

May 21, 2026
Shannon Heckt
For the last five years, populations of juvenile blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay had struggled to thrive. From 2010 to 2023, the population dropped about 50% as researchers tried to pinpoint the reason behind the decline. But new data...
Preservation, environmental groups say Valley Link transmission line risks Va.’s natural resources
Virginia

Preservation, environmental groups say Valley Link transmission line risks Va.’s natural resources

May 20, 2026
Shannon Heckt
Ten historic preservation and environmental groups are cautioning against the potential impacts of the proposed high-powered Valley Link transmission line that will span 115-miles across Virginia, casting it as a danger to the state’s natural resources. The high-voltage line that...
What Dominion and NextEra Energy’s proposed merger means for Virginia customers
Virginia

What Dominion and NextEra Energy’s proposed merger means for Virginia customers

May 18, 2026
Shannon Heckt
Dominion Energy and Florida-based NextEra Energy are proposing a merger to create the largest regulated electric utility in the country, hosting about 110 gigawatts of power combined. If approvals from the slate of regulatory agencies are secured, it will mean...