The Netherlands blocked a U.S. company from buying a Dutch firm that handles its national ID system, saying it would create a “threat to the public interest.”

NextEra, which is seeking to buy Dominion Energy, has often butted heads with consumer groups, residents and journalists in its home state.

© Ulysse Bellier/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

NextEra’s proposed acquisition of Dominion Energy comes as Americans are paying a lot more for electricity, and data centers are demanding a lot more power from utilities.

© Tristan Spinski for The New York Times