Headshot of Virginia Mercury reporter, Shannon Heckt.

Shannon Heckt

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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.

Spanberger, Va. Democrats pitch medical debt relief, data center limits for 2027
Virginia

Spanberger, Va. Democrats pitch medical debt relief, data center limits for 2027

Nov 11, 2026
Markus Schmidt Shannon Heckt
Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Virginia’s top Democrats unveiled their 2027 legislative agenda Tuesday, proposing medical debt relief, limits on classroom screen time and tougher oversight of data centers and artificial intelligence as they seek to address rising costs for Virginia...
JLARC: Data center tax break accounts for 60% of Virginia’s incentive spending
Virginia

JLARC: Data center tax break accounts for 60% of Virginia’s incentive spending

Nov 10, 2026
Shannon Heckt
Virginia spent more than $7 billion on economic development incentives over the past decade, with 60% going to a data center exemption that helped stall budget negotiations earlier this year. The incentives include tax exemptions and project grants, according to...
At SCC hearing, Virginians say Dominion-NextEra merger could mean higher bills, new risk
Virginia

At SCC hearing, Virginians say Dominion-NextEra merger could mean higher bills, new risk

Nov 06, 2026
Shannon Heckt
In downtown Richmond outside the State Corporation Commission Thursday, dozens of protestors shouted their opposition to the NextEra-Dominion Energy merger, as public testimony in the case proceeded inside the SCC courtroom. Some demonstrators held aloft effigies of the three SCC...
Public hearings for the NextEra-Dominion merger have begun. Here’s what you need to know.
Virginia

Public hearings for the NextEra-Dominion merger have begun. Here’s what you need to know.

Nov 05, 2026
Shannon Heckt
Public hearings in the case to decide the fate of the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and Florida-based NextEra Energy begin this week at the State Corporation Commission. The $67 billion all-stock deal would create the largest regulated utility in...
Dominion-NextEra accept some proposed protections in merger case, rejects rate and staffing freeze
Virginia

Dominion-NextEra accept some proposed protections in merger case, rejects rate and staffing freeze

Nov 04, 2026
Shannon Heckt
In the final days before the Dominion Energy and NextEra merger case is set to begin at the State Corporation Commission, the companies are responding to a list of recommendations and conditions that staff members at the SCC and the...
Dominion asks SCC to recoup RGGI costs from customers, adding up to $13 to bills monthly
Virginia

Dominion asks SCC to recoup RGGI costs from customers, adding up to $13 to bills monthly

Oct 29, 2026
Shannon Heckt
This summer, Dominion Energy rejoined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative , a carbon market designed to offset carbon emissions. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin yanked Virginia from RGGI in 2023 and in her first speech to lawmakers in January, Gov. Abigail...
Virginia Beach wastewater facility to turn biogas into power for thousands of homes
Virginia

Virginia Beach wastewater facility to turn biogas into power for thousands of homes

Oct 28, 2026
Shannon Heckt
Once a new renewable natural gas facility is completed in Virginia Beach, the flush of a toilet could help power homes across the Hampton Roads region, developers say. Hampton Roads Sanitation District has partnered with Virginia Natural Gas, who provides...
In Cumberland, questions swirl over water sources for newly-approved Dominion gas plant
Virginia

In Cumberland, questions swirl over water sources for newly approved Dominion gas plant

Oct 26, 2026
Shannon Heckt
Cumberland County has promised Dominion Energy two million gallons of water a day from Cobbs Creek Reservoir for its proposed three gigawatt natural gas plant . But technically, the water is not yet theirs to give away. The county board...
General Assembly calls off Oct. 26 special session to elect judges
Virginia

General Assembly calls off Oct. 26 special session to elect judges

Oct 19, 2026
Shannon Heckt
An Oct. 26 special session to elect judges to the Court of Appeals of Virginia has been called off because of scheduling conflicts, scrapping lawmakers’ return to Richmond. The session was expected to last at least three days, which Senate...
Dominion’s energy roadmap keeps fossil fuels in the mix, expands solar
Virginia

Dominion’s energy road map keeps fossil fuels in the mix, expands solar

Oct 19, 2026
Shannon Heckt
Dominion Energy plans to add more than 39 gigawatts of new power generation over the next 20 years as electricity demand surges across Virginia, according to the company’s latest filing with the State Corporation Commission . Over that period, Dominion...
Data center moratorium bills stack up ahead of Virginia legislative session in January
Virginia

Data center moratorium bills stack up ahead of Virginia legislative session in January

Oct 16, 2026
Shannon Heckt
Come January, state lawmakers will debate a slate of bills that would halt data center development, including one by Sen. Russett Perry, D-Loudoun, which recommends a three -year moratorium on building the high-powered digital warehouses. Perry has filed Senate Bill...
Chesapeake Bay gets a C+ in overall health, its highest score in 20 years of records
Maryland

Chesapeake Bay gets a C+ in overall health, its highest score in 20 years of records

Oct 14, 2026
Shannon Heckt
The Chesapeake Bay earned a C+ on the annual report card that calculates improvements or losses in key indicators of health and conditions in the estuary and surrounding areas. This is the highest the Bay has ever scored since the...