Profile AnalysisPrint State Energy Profile
(overview, data, & analysis)
Last Updated: December 15, 2022
Overview
Nuclear power and coal are the primary energy resources produced in Virginia.
Virginia lies midway between the southern tip of Florida and the northern coast of Maine. The state stretches almost 430 miles west to east and includes the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula on the eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay.1 In 1607, the first permanent English settlement in North America was established at Jamestown in eastern Virginia.2 Today, several of the state's modern-day population centers and the nation's largest coal export port at Hampton Roads are located on Virginia's eastern coastal plain.3,4,5 To the west, the flat coastal plain meets the rolling hills of the Piedmont region at the Fall Line, a boundary where the state's rivers decline in rapids and waterfalls.6 However, most of the state's hydroelectric power plants are further west, where the Piedmont rises into the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Appalachian region that occupies much of western Virginia contains most of the state's coal, the primary fossil energy resource produced in Virginia.7,8,9 The Appalachian Plateau, which cuts across the southwestern corner of Virginia, holds almost all the state's crude oil and natural gas fields.10 Virginia also has several other energy resources. About 16 million acres of Virginia is forested, and the state's widely distributed forests hold abundant biomass resources. Virginia also has significant offshore wind energy potential.11,12 Nuclear energy is Virginia's largest energy resource.13 However, even though uranium, the source for nuclear fuel, was discovered in southern Virginia, uranium mining in the state has been banned since the 1980s.14
The transportation sector accounted for three-tenths of Virginia's total end-use energy consumption in 2020. The state has the nation's third-largest state-maintained transportation network, plus six major interstate highways, and more than a dozen railroads that operate on 3,500 miles of railway in the state.15 Virginia also has several commercial airports, including two near Washington, DC, that are among the nation's busiest, and one of the nation's largest seaports, the Port of Virginia at Hampton Roads.16,17 The state's commercial sector, which includes many colleges, universities, and federal government facilities in addition to other business activities, accounted for more than one-fourth of Virginia's total end-use energy consumption in 2020. Virginia is the nation's 12th most populated state and its residential sector used almost one-fourth of the state's energy. Virginia's industrial sector, including almost 8 million acres of farms, accounted for nearly one-fifth of the state's energy consumption.18 Even though Virginia consumes almost three times more energy than the state produces, it uses less energy than almost one-fourth of states. Virginia's per capita energy use is below the national average and less than in 28 other states.19,20,21
Coal
In 2021, Virginia ports handled more than one-third of the nation’s coal exports.
Virginia ports are the leading exporters of U.S. coal. In 2021, more than one-third of the country's total coal exports were shipped through the Norfolk Customs District. It is the largest U.S. coal port complex and includes Hampton Roads, Norfolk, and Newport News.22 Although the state has more than 30 active coal mines, Virginia mines account for less than 2% of the nation's total coal reserves and total coal production.23 In 2021, almost two-thirds of the coal exported from Virginia's seaports came from other states.24 About 85% of Virginia's mined coal went to other nations or other states in 2021.25,26
In 2021, Virginia consumed nearly 2.8 million tons of coal, including about one million tons that was mined in-state.27 Most of the additional coal Virginia needed came from West Virginia.28 The electric power sector consumed more than half of the coal burned in-state, coke plants used three-tenths, and industrial facilities consumed almost all the rest. Minor amounts of coal went to the commercial sector. Fewer than 2% of Virginia households heat their homes with coal.29,30 Overall, Virginia accounted for about 0.5% of the nation's total coal consumption in 2021.31
Natural gas
Most of Virginia’s natural gas production comes from wells drilled into coal-rich formations.
Virginia accounts for less than 1% of the nation's total natural gas reserves and production.32,33 All of the state's natural gas fields are located in seven counties in southwestern Virginia.34 Two of those natural gas fields are among the nation's top 100 as ranked by proved reserves, and both produce coalbed methane.35,36 Virginia contains one-fifth of U.S. coalbed methane proved reserves, the third-largest amount of any state.37 Coalbed methane is natural gas produced from organic material as it is transformed into coal.38 In 2021, more than four-fifths of Virginia's natural gas production was coalbed methane, and the state accounted for about one-tenth of the nation's total coalbed methane production.39 The state's annual natural gas production from all sources has steadily declined from its peak of more than 151 billion cubic feet in 2011. However, at 96 billion cubic feet in 2021, production was still more than six times greater than it had been three decades earlier.40
Virginia natural gas use was about seven times greater than state production in 2021.41,42 Most of the natural gas supplied to consumers in Virginia comes from the Appalachian region by interstate natural gas pipelines.43 In the past, the largest share of the state's natural gas supply came from the south through North Carolina. However, after 2011, natural gas movements into Virginia from the south abruptly declined as more natural gas entered the state from the north through Maryland as a result of the increase in natural gas production from the Marcellus Shale in nearby Pennsylvania.44,45,46,47 Much of the natural gas that enters Virginia continues on to other states. In 2016, for the first time, the largest share of natural gas leaving Virginia went south to North Carolina. Increasing amounts have also gone to Tennessee. A small amount of the natural gas that leaves Virginia enters Washington, DC, and the surrounding Maryland suburbs by way of the local natural gas utility.48,49 Some of the natural gas that Virginia receives enters the state's two underground natural gas storage facilities. Their combined total storage capacity is 9 billion cubic feet, about 0.1% of the nation's total.50,51
The electric power sector is Virginia's largest natural gas consumer and natural gas use in that sector has almost tripled since 2010.52 In 2015, Virginia's electric power sector used more natural gas than all the other end-use sectors combined for the first time. By 2020, it accounted for almost two-thirds of the natural gas delivered to consumers in the state. In 2021, the electric power sector used a slightly smaller share, but it still accounted for three-fifths of state use. The industrial sector's natural gas use has increased steadily since 2009.53 It is the second-largest natural gas-consuming sector in Virginia and accounted for 17% of deliveries to consumers in 2021. The residential sector, where one in three households use natural gas for home heating, used about 12%.54 The commercial sector consumed almost all the rest. A small amount of natural gas went to the transportation sector for use as vehicle fuel.55 There are 23 compressed natural gas vehicle fueling stations in Virginia, but about three-fourths of them are private access only.56
Petroleum
Virginia has no appreciable crude oil reserves and only a very small amount of crude oil production, all of which is from wells in two counties in the far southwestern corner of the state.57,58,59 There are no operating petroleum refineries in Virginia, and no major crude oil pipelines cross the state.60,61 Virginia has produced less than 1 million barrels of crude oil since 1942, when the state's first crude oil well came online. In 1983, Virginia's total annual production peaked at more than 65,000 barrels, but it declined to less than one-tenth of that by 2021.62,63
Refined petroleum products arrive in Virginia by pipeline and by ship. Two major petroleum product pipelines—Colonial Pipeline and PPL Pipeline (formerly known as Plantation Pipeline)—deliver refined petroleum products to locations across the state.64 The Colonial Pipeline originates in Texas and has several delivery locations in Virginia before reaching its endpoint in New Jersey.65 The PPL Pipeline brings petroleum products north from Louisiana and Mississippi to its terminus in northern Virginia near Washington, DC.66 Petroleum products also arrive from overseas at Norfolk.67,68
Virginia no longer has any petroleum refineries. The state's last petroleum refinery, located in Yorktown, suspended operations in 2010, and the site is now a storage depot and transportation hub for crude oil and petroleum products entering the state. The terminal connects to the Colonial Pipeline system and has rail and dock facilities. Petroleum products that arrive by ship, railway, or pipeline continue on to markets by marine vessels or by truck.69
Virginia uses more petroleum than 38 other states but consumes less per capita than all but 22 other states.70 The transportation sector uses nearly nine-tenths of the petroleum products consumed in the state, almost two-thirds of that is motor gasoline.71,72 Federal clean air regulations require counties and cities in the northern Virginia area to use reformulated motor gasoline blended with ethanol to reduce harmful emissions. Several counties and cities in central and eastern Virginia also require reformulated motor gasoline to reduce smog.73 The state's industrial sector accounts for almost 5% of state petroleum consumption, and the commercial sector uses nearly 4%. The residential sector, where about 1 in 13 households heat with fuel oil, kerosene, propane, or other petroleum products, consumes about 3%. The electric power sector uses very little petroleum.74,75
Electricity
Natural gas and nuclear power accounted for 87% of Virginia's total in-state electricity net generation in 2021. Natural gas fueled the largest share, almost three-fifths, and the state's two nuclear power plants supplied three-tenths.76,77 Renewable energy sources, including biomass, hydroelectric power, and solar energy, accounted for about one-tenth. Coal and to a much lesser extent petroleum together fueled nearly 4% of Virginia's total in-state generation.78 Coal-fired power plants supplied the largest share of the state's net generation until 2008, when coal's contribution fell below that of nuclear power. As coal-fired generation decreased, natural gas-fired generation increased. In 2012, natural gas fueled more of Virginia's in-state electricity generation than coal for the first time. Natural gas-fired generation has exceeded coal's contribution in every year since 2015. Natural gas also surpassed nuclear power for the first time in 2015. Also, as coal-fired generation continued to decline the contribution from renewable energy sources increased. As a result, in 2019 renewable resources supplied more of Virginia's total net generation than coal for the first time.79,80
Virginia's electricity consumption is greater than its total in-state generation, and the state receives additional power from the two regional grids that supply the state.81,82,83 In 2020, Virginia was the nation's 10th largest electricity consumer as measured by electricity retail sales, but ranked 18th on a per capita basis.84 In 2021, the commercial sector accounted for almost half of Virginia's electricity consumption. The residential sector, where most households have air conditioning and more than half use electricity for home heating, accounted for nearly two-fifths of state use.85,86 The industrial sector consumed almost all the rest. The transportation sector used a small amount.87 The average electricity price in Virginia is well below the national average and is less than in more than two-thirds of the states.88
Renewable energy
Virginia’s Bath County Pumped Storage Station is the second-largest pumped hydroelectric storage facility in the world.
Renewable resources provided almost 10% of Virginia's total electricity generation in 2021.89 Biomass and solar energy supplied almost equal amounts at 4% each. Municipal solid waste and landfill gas are common forms of biomass used for electricity generation in Virginia, but facilities that use wood and wood waste account for more than three-fifths of the state's biomass-fueled generating capacity.90 Virginia has seven wood pellet manufacturing plants that can produce nearly one million tons of wood pellets per year.91 Wood pellets are used for heating and for generating.92 Almost 2% of the state's households heat with wood.93 Virginia produces liquid biofuels at the state's one biodiesel plant, which has a production capacity of about 5 million gallons per year.94 However, Virginia consumers used nearly 18 million gallons of biodiesel in 2020, all of it in the transportation sector.95 There are no fuel ethanol production facilities in Virginia, but the state accounted for about 3% of the nation's fuel ethanol consumption in 2020, and almost all of it was used in the transportation sector.96,97
The largest share of Virginia's solar powered electricity generation comes from utility-scale facilities (1-megawatt and larger). Although the contribution from all solar to the state's power generation is small, it more than doubled between 2020 and 2021.98 Virginia's first utility-scale solar generation came online in early 2016. In October 2016, what was then the largest solar farm in the Mid-Atlantic region came online on the Virginia portion of the Delmarva Peninsula.99 That 80-megawatt installation brought Virginia's utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity to more than 100 megawatts. Since 2016, several larger solar farms have been built, among them seven with capacities of 100-megawatts or greater, including the largest to date, a 240-megawatt facility in Spotsylvania County.100 By September 2022, Virginia's installed utility-scale solar PV capacity was 2,482 megawatts. Small-scale installations accounted for an additional 243 megawatts, increasing the state's total solar PV capacity to about 2,725 megawatts.101
Virginia has 25 conventional hydroelectric power plants and 2 pumped-storage hydroelectric facilities.102 The conventional hydroelectric plants typically account for almost 2% of Virginia's in-state generation.103 Pumped-storage hydroelectric plants generate electricity during peak demand periods using water previously pumped into an elevated storage reservoir during off-peak periods and then releasing it to flow back to a lower reservoir through turbine generators when additional generating capacity is needed. Pumped-storage facilities typically consume more power than they generate, but they provide power in periods of high demand.104,105 Virginia's Bath County Pumped Storage Station is one of the two pumped hydroelectric facilities in the state. With a net generating capacity of 3,003 megawatts, it is the largest power plant in Virginia by capacity. It is also the largest pumped-storage hydroelectric plant in the nation and the second-largest in the world.106,107,108
Most of Virginia's onshore wind energy potential is in narrow bands on the state's western mountain ridges.109 Much of that area is national park land with limited development potential. Currently, there are no utility-scale onshore wind projects in the state, although some small wind projects were installed at host schools in Virginia as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind for Schools program.110,111 The state has large areas with wind energy potential off its Atlantic coast and in the Chesapeake Bay. The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project, about 27 miles off Virginia Beach, has two 6-megawatt turbines that came online in January 2021.112 The 12-megawatt project is the precursor to the planned development of a 2,600-megawatt wind farm in an adjacent federal lease tract, targeted for completion by 2026.113
In 2020, Virginia replaced its voluntary renewable portfolio goal with the Virginia Clean Economy Act. The Act requires the state's two largest investor-owned utilities, Dominion Energy Virginia and American Electric Power, to retire their carbon-emitting electricity generating units and construct, acquire, or purchase Virginia generating capacity that uses solar and wind energy. Dominion Energy Virginia must obtain 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2045, and American Electric Power is to meet its 100% renewable target by 2050. The Act establishes an energy efficiency standard that requires that each utility achieve incremental annual energy efficiency savings.114,115 Like several other states, Virginia gives electric utility customers the option to purchase 100% of their electricity from renewable energy sources. If a utility does not offer a program that meets the 100% renewable energy requirement, its customers can purchase renewable power from any licensed retail supplier.116
Endnotes
1 NETSTATE, Virginia, The Geography of Virginia, updated February 25, 2016.
2 NETSTATE, Virginia, The Commonwealth of Virginia, updated July 28, 2017.
3 U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census: Virginia Profile.
4 U.S. Coal Exports, Estimated U.S. Coal Port Capacity, 2019 Update, accessed October 31, 2022.
5 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Quarterly Coal Report, October-December 2021 (April 2022), Table 13, U.S. Coal Exports by Customs District.
6 Sethi, Parvinder, et al., Geology of Virginia, Coastal Plain Physiography, Special Physiographic Features, Part 1, The Fall Line, Radford University (2014).
7 U.S. EIA, Virginia, Profile Overview, Interactive Map, accessed October 31, 2022.
8 NETSTATE, Virginia, Virginia Economy, updated December 19, 2017.
9 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Tables P2, Primary Energy Production Estimates in Trillion Btu, 2020.
10 Virginia Energy, Oil and Natural Gas, accessed October 31, 2022.
11 Virginia Department of Forestry, Field Notes: Ground Truthing Forest Data (January 22, 2021).
12 U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, WINDExchange, Virginia Offshore 90-Meter Wind Map and Wind Resource Potential, and Virginia Land-Based Wind Speed at 100 Meters, accessed October 31, 2022.
13 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Tables P2, Primary Energy Production Estimates in Trillion Btu, 2020.
14 "Virginia Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal on uranium mining ban," Chatham Star-Tribune (October 4, 2021).
15 Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia's Highway System, updated November 1, 2019.
16 McDonnell, Gov. Bob, "The Commonwealth of Virginia—Staying Competitive in Today's Global Marketplace," Trade & Industry Development (July 18, 2013).
17 The Port of Virginia, Hampton Roads Harbor, 2021 Trade Overview.
18 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C1, Energy Consumption Overview: Estimates by Energy Source and End-Use Sector, 2020.
19 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table P3, Total Primary Energy Production and Total Energy Consumption Estimates in Trillion Btu, 2019.
20 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C11, Energy Consumption Estimates by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2020.
21 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C14, Total Energy Consumption Estimates per Capita by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2020.
22 U.S. EIA, Quarterly Coal Report, October-December 2021 (April 2022), Table 13, U.S. Coal Exports by Customs District.
23 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Report 2021 (October 2022), Table 1, Coal Production and Number of Mines by State and Mine Type, 2021 and 2020, and Table 14, Recoverable Coal Reserves and Average Recovery Percentage at Producing Mines by State, 2021 and 2020.
24 U.S. EIA, Quarterly Coal Report, October-December 2021 (April 2022), Table 2, Coal production by state, and Table 13, U.S. coal exports by customs district.
25 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Distribution Report 2021 (October 2022), Domestic and Foreign Distribution of U.S. Coal by State of Origin, 2021.
26 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Distribution Report 2021 (October 2022), By Coal Origin State, Virginia Table OS-24, Domestic Coal Distribution, by Origin State, 2021.
27 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Report 2021 (October 2022), Table 26, U.S. Coal Consumption by End Use Sector, Census Division, and State, 2021 and 2020.
28 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Distribution Report 2021 (October 2022), By Coal Destination State, Virginia Table DS-40, Domestic Coal Distribution, by Destination State, 2021.
29 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Report 2021 (October 2022), Table 26, U.S. Coal Consumption by End Use Sector, Census Division, and State, 2021 and 2020.
30 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Virginia, Table B25040, 2021American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
31 U.S. EIA, Coal Data Browser, Total consumption, Electric power, Commercial and institutional, Coke plants, Other industrial, United States, Virginia, Annual, 2021.
32 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Reserves Summary as of Dec. 31, Dry Natural Gas, Annual, 2020.
33 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Gross Withdrawals, Annual, 2021.
34 Virginia Energy, Geology and Mineral Resources, Energy Resources, Natural Gas, accessed November 1, 2022.
35 U.S. EIA, Top 100 U.S. Oil and Gas Fields (March 2015), Table 2, Top 100 U.S. gas fields as of December 31, 2013.
36 Lyons, Paul C., Coalbed methane potential in the Appalachian states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee—An overview, U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 96-735 (1996), p. 12.
37 U.S. EIA, Coalbed Methane, Proved Reserves Summary as of Dec. 31, Annual, 2017.
38 U.S. EIA, Glossary, Coalbed Methane, accessed October 31, 2022.
39 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Virginia, and U.S., Annual, 2021.
40 U.S. EIA, Virginia Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals, Annual, 1967-2021.
41 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, Virginia, Annual, 2016-21.
42 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Gross Withdrawals, Annual, 2016-21.
43 U.S. EIA, Virginia Profile Overview, View Interactive Map, accessed November 4, 2022.
44 U.S. EIA, Virginia Natural Gas Interstate Receipts From North Carolina, 1989-2021.
45 U.S. EIA, Virginia Natural Gas Interstate Net Receipts from Maryland, 1989-2021.
46 U.S. EIA, Maryland Natural Gas Net Receipts from Pennsylvania, 1989-2021.
47 U.S. EIA, "Shale natural gas production in the Appalachian Basin sets records in first half of 2021," Today in Energy (September 1, 2021).
48 U.S. EIA, International and Interstate Movements of Natural Gas by State, Virginia, Annual, 2016-21.
49 Washington Gas, Corporate Governance, Corporate and Executive Summary, accessed November 4, 2022.
50 U.S. EIA, Underground Natural Gas Storage Capacity, Virginia, Annual, 2016-21.
51 U.S. EIA, Underground Natural Gas Storage Capacity, Total Storage Capacity, Annual, 2016-21.
52 U.S. EIA, Virginia Natural Gas Deliveries to Electric Power Consumers, 1997-2021.
53 U.S. EIA, Virginia Natural Gas Industrial Consumption, Annual, 1997-2021.
54 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Virginia, Table B25040, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
55 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, Virginia, Annual, 2016-21.
56 U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, Alternative Fueling Station Locator, Virginia, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Public and Private Access, Available, accessed November 4, 2022.
57 U.S. EIA, Crude Oil Production, Annual, 2016-21.
58 U.S. EIA, Proved Nonproducing Reserves, Virginia, Annual, 2015-20.
59 Virginia Energy, Geology and Mineral Resources, Energy Resources, Oil, accessed November 4, 2022.
60 U.S. EIA, Virginia Number of Operable Refineries as of January 1, 1982-2022.
61 U.S. EIA, Virginia Profile Overview, Interactive Map, accessed November 4, 2022.
62 Virginia Energy, Geology and Mineral Resources, Energy Resources, Oil, accessed November 4, 2022.
63 U.S. EIA, Virginia Field Production of Crude Oil, Annual, 1981-2021.
64 U.S. EIA, Virginia Profile Overview, Interactive Map, accessed November 4, 2022.
65 Colonial Pipeline Company, About Colonial, System Map, accessed November 4, 2022.
66 Kinder Morgan, Operations, Products Pipelines, Overview, Southeast Operations, Products (SE) Pipe Line Corporation, accessed November 9, 2022.
67 U.S. EIA, Virginia Profile Overview, Interactive Map, accessed November 9, 2022.
68 U.S. EIA, Petroleum and Other Liquids, Company Level Imports, January 2022-August 2022.
69 Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Plains Marketing L.P., Yorktown, Virginia, Permit No. TRO-60116 (October 12, 2017), Federal Operating Permit, Facility Information, p. 3-4.
70 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C15, Petroleum Consumption, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2020.
71 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F16, Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2020.
72 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C8, Transportation Sector Energy Consumption Estimates, 2020.
73 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Gasoline Standards, Reformulated Gasoline, accessed November 10, 2022.
74 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Virginia, Table B25040, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
75 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F16, Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2020.
76 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Virginia, All fuels (utility-scale), Natural gas, Nuclear, Small-scale solar photovoltaic, Annual, 2021.
77 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Virginia, updated March 9, 2021.
78 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Virginia, Fuel Type (Check all), 2021.
79 U.S. EIA, Virginia Electricity Profile 2019, Table 5, Electric power industry generation by primary energy source, 1990 through 2021.
80 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Virginia, Fuel Type (Check all), 2001-21.
81 U.S. EIA, Virginia Electricity Profile 2021, Table 10, Supply and Disposition of Electricity, 1990 Through 2021.
82 PJM, Who we are, accessed November 10, 2022.
83 Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA In Virginia, Fiscal Year 2021.
84 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C17, Electricity Retail Sales, Total and Residential, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2020.
85 U.S. EIA, 2020 RECS Survey Data, Air Conditioning, Table HC7.8.
86 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Virginia, Table B25040, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
87 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Retail sales of electricity, Virginia, All sectors, Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Transportation, Annual, 2021.
88 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Geography (Check all), Average retail price of electricity, All sectors, Annual, 2021
89 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Virginia, Fuel Type (Check all), 2021.
90 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Form EIA-860 detailed data with previous form data (EIA-860A/860B), 2021 Form EIA-860 Data, Schedule 3, 'Generator Data' (Operable Units Only).
91 U.S. EIA, Monthly Densified Biomass Fuel Report, Table 1, Densified biomass fuel manufacturing facilities in the United States by state, region, and capacity, July 2022.
92 U.S. EIA, Monthly Densified Biomass Fuel Report, About the Densified Biomass Fuel Report, accessed November 11, 2022.
93 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Virginia, Table B25040, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
94 "U.S. Biodiesel Plants," Biodiesel Magazine, updated January 24, 2022.
95 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F26, Biodiesel Consumption Estimates, 2020.
96 U.S. EIA, U.S. Fuel Ethanol Plant Production Capacity, U.S. Fuel Ethanol Plant Production Capacity as of January 1, 2022.
97 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F25, Fuel ethanol consumption estimates, 2020.
98 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Virginia, All fuels, All solar, Small-scale solar photovoltaic, All utility-scale solar, Annual, 2013-21.
99 Dominion Energy, "Dominion Announces Significant Expansion of Solar Energy in Virginia in Collaboration with Amazon," Press Release (November 17, 2016).
100 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), EIA 860M, October 2022.
101 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (November 2022), Table 6.2.B.
102 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), EIA 860M, October 2022.
103 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Virginia, All fuels, Conventional hydroelectric, Small-scale solar photovoltaic, 2001-21.
104 U.S. EIA, Glossary, Pumped-storage hydroelectric plant, accessed November 13, 2022.
105 U.S. EIA, "Pumped storage provides grid reliability even with net generation loss," Today in Energy (July 8, 2013).
106 U.S. EIA, Virginia Electricity Profile 2021, Table 2A, Ten largest plants by capacity, 2021.
107 Stocks, Carrieann, "Largest pumped storage plants in operation and development," NS Energy (May 10, 2020).
108 Bellini, Emiliano, "State Grid of China switches on world's largest pumped-hydro station," pv magazine (January 4, 2022).
109 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, WINDExchange, Virginia Land-Based Wind Speed at 100 Meters, accessed November 13, 2022.
110 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), EIA 860M, September 2022.
111 OpenEI, Wind for Schools, Wind for Schools Turbine Data, accessed October 6, 2021.
112 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), EIA 860M, October 2022.
113 Skopljak, Nadja, "Second Turbine Up at Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project," offshoreWIND.biz (June 29, 2020).
114 Virginia Legislative Information System, 2020 Session, SB 851 Electric utility regulation; environmental goals, Virginia Clean Economy Act, approved April 11, 2020.
115 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, Virginia, Renewable Portfolio Standard, updated August 27, 2020.
116 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, Virginia, Mandatory Utility Green Power Option, updated August 30, 2021.