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State Energy Profile - Virginia

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State Energy Profile for Virginia
Last Update: February 4, 2010
Next Update: February 11, 2010

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    Virginia Quick Facts

  • Virginia accounts for nearly 10 percent of U.S. coal production east of the Mississippi River.
  • Virginia’s only petroleum refinery, in Yorktown, processes foreign crude oil delivered by barge via the Chesapeake Bay.
  • Virginia has two nuclear power plants, which typically provide about one-third of the electricity generated within the State.
  • Two of Virginia’s coalbed methane fields are among the top 100 natural gas fields in the United States.
  • Virginia established a voluntary renewable portfolio goal that encourages utilities to generate 12 percent of base-year 2007 sales from renewable sources by 2022.




 

Overview

Resources and Consumption

Virginia has minor natural gas and coal reserves, nearly all of which are found in the Central Appalachian Basin in the southwestern part of the State. In addition, resource assessments show that substantial oil and gas reserves could underlie the land beneath Virginia’s offshore waters, which are part of the federally administered Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Congressional and Presidential moratoria prohibiting energy development in that offshore area were established in 1990 and expired in 2008. High wind power potential exists off of Virginia’s Atlantic coast and in the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia’s energy demand is distributed fairly evenly among the sectors of the economy, with transportation leading the others by a small margin.

Petroleum

Virginia’s only petroleum refinery, in Yorktown, processes foreign crude oil delivered by barge via the Chesapeake Bay. The Yorktown refinery primarily supplies regional markets. Petroleum products are also delivered to Virginia at the Port of Norfolk and via the Colonial and Plantation pipelines from the Gulf Coast. Virginia’s total petroleum consumption is high. Reformulated motor gasoline blended with ethanol is required in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., and in the metropolitan areas of Richmond and Norfolk-Hampton Roads.

Natural Gas

Virginia’s natural gas production is minor but enough to supply about one-third of State demand. Virginia produces both conventional natural gas and coalbed methane in the Central Appalachian Basin, which covers the State’s western panhandle. Most of Virginia’s natural gas production comes from coalbed methane fields, two of which are among the 100 largest natural gas fields in the United States. As with most States on the East Coast, the majority of Virginia’s natural gas supply is delivered from the Gulf Coast region via several major interstate natural gas pipelines. The State ships over four-fifths of its natural gas receipts to Maryland and the District of Columbia en route to other markets in the Northeast. Virginia’s natural gas consumption is distributed relatively evenly among the residential, commercial, industrial, and electricity generation sectors. About one-third of households in Virginia use natural gas as their primary energy source for home heating.

Coal, Electricity, and Renewables

Virginia accounts for more than 5 percent of U.S. coal production east of the Mississippi River. Production takes place at surface and underground mines in the Central Appalachian Basin. Large volumes of coal move through Virginia by rail, including production from Kentucky and West Virginia. Virginia’s coal is shipped to nearly half of the States in the Nation; the primary recipients are Georgia and Tennessee. Most coal consumed in Virginia is used for electricity generation.

Coal-fired power plants typically account for nearly one-half of the State’s electricity generation. Two nuclear power plants account for about one-third of the State’s generation, and natural gas- and petroleum-fired power plants account for much of the rest. Close to one-half of households in Virginia use electricity as their primary energy source for home heating. Wood and wood waste provide Virginia with about 2.5 percent of its total electricity production, while other renewable sources, such as hydroelectric power, municipal solid waste, and landfill gas, contribute minimally. In April 2007, Virginia established a voluntary renewable portfolio goal that encourages utilities to generate 12 percent of base-year 2007 sales from renewable sources by 2022.



Data

Economy
Population and Employment Virginia U.S. Rank Period
Population 7.8 million    12
2008
Civilian Labor Force 4.1 million    12
Dec-09
Per Capita Personal Income $41,347    10
2007
Industry Virginia U.S. Rank Period
Gross Domestic Product by State $397.0 billion    11 2008
Land in Farms 8.1 million acres    34
2007
Market Value of Agricultural Products Sold $2.9 billion    30
2007

 Prices
Petroleum Virginia U.S. Avg. Period
Domestic Crude Oil First Purchase $71.98/barrel Nov-09
No. 2 Heating Oil, Residential $2.38/gal $2.60/gal Nov-09 Click to see State rankings
  Regular Motor Gasoline Sold Through Retail Outlets (Excluding Taxes) $2.14/gal $2.15/gal Nov-09 Click to see State rankings
  State Tax Rate on Motor Gasoline
(other taxes may apply)
$0.18/gal $0.22/gal Aug-08
  No. 2 Diesel Fuel Sold Through Retail Outlets (Excluding Taxes) $2.25/gal $2.27/gal Nov-09 Click to see State rankings
  State Tax Rate on On-Highway Diesel
(other taxes may apply)
$0.16/gal $0.22/gal Aug-08
Natural Gas Virginia U.S. Avg. Period
  Wellhead $6.37/thousand cu ft 2007
  City Gate NA $6.32/thousand cu ft Nov-09
  Residential $13.47/thousand cu ft $11.25/thousand cu ft Nov-09 Click to see State rankings
Coal Virginia U.S. Avg. Period
  Average Open Market Sales Price $81.12/short ton $32.06/short ton 2008
  Delivered to Electric Power Sector $ 3.17/million Btu $ 2.16 /million Btu Oct-09
Electricity Virginia U.S. Avg. Period
  Residential 10.95 cents/kWh 11.76 cents/kWh Oct-09 Click to see State rankings
  Commercial 7.98 cents/kWh 10.22 cents/kWh Oct-09
  Industrial 6.80 cents/kWh 6.68 cents/kWh Oct-09
       

 Reserves & Supply
Reserves Virginia Share of U.S. Period
  Crude Oil 2008
  Dry Natural Gas 2,378 billion cu ft 1.0% 2008
  Natural Gas Liquids 2008
  Recoverable Coal at Producing Mines 217 million short tons 1.2 % 2008
Rotary Rigs & Wells Virginia Share of U.S. Period
Rotary Rigs in Operation 5 0.3% 2008
Crude Oil Producing Wells 3 0.0% 2008
Natural Gas Producing Wells 5,735 1.3% 2007
Production Virginia Share of U.S. Period
  Total Energy 1,173 trillion Btu 1.6% 2007 Click to see State rankings
  Crude Oil 1 thousand barrels 0.0% Sep-09 Click to see State rankings
  Natural Gas - Marketed 112,057 million cu ft 0.6% 2007 Click to see State rankings
  Coal 24,712 thousand short tons NA 2008 Click to see State rankings
Capacity Virginia Share of U.S. Period
  Crude Oil Refinery Capacity (as of Jan. 1) 64,500 barrels/calendar day 0.4% 2009
  Electric Power Industry Net Summer Capability 23,476 MW 2.3% 2008
Net Electricity Generation Virginia Share of U.S. Period
  Total Net Electricity Generation 4,778 thousand MWh 1.6% Oct-09 Click to see State rankings
  Petroleum-Fired 19 thousand MWh 1.0% Oct-09
  Natural Gas-Fired 636 thousand MWh 0.9% Oct-09
  Coal-Fired 1,532 thousand MWh 1.1% Oct-09
  Nuclear 2,376 thousand MWh 4.1% Oct-09
  Hydroelectric 110 thousand MWh 0.6% Oct-09
  Other Renewables 187 thousand MWh 1.6% Oct-09
Stocks Virginia Share of U.S. Period
  Motor Gasoline (Excludes Pipelines) 705 thousand barrels 1.3% Nov-09
  Distillate Fuel Oil (Excludes Pipelines) 3,883 thousand barrels 2.8% Nov-09
  Natural Gas in Underground Storage 9,347 million cu ft 0.1% Nov-09
  Petroleum Stocks at Electric Power Producers 2,529 thousand barrels 6.1 % Oct-09
  Coal Stocks at Electric Power Producers 2,859 thousand tons 1.4 % Oct-09
Production Facilities Virginia
  Major Coal Mines None
  Petroleum Refineries Western Refining Yorktown Inc (Yorktown)
  Major Non-Nuclear Electricity Generating Plants Bath County (Virginia Electric & Power Co) • Possum Point (Virginia Electric & Power Co) • Chesterfield (Virginia Electric & Power Co) • Yorktown (Virginia Electric & Power Co) • Tenaska Virginia Generating Station (Tenaska Virginia Partners LP)
  Nuclear Power Plants North Anna (Virginia Electric & Power Co) • Surry (Virginia Electric & Power Co)
       

 Distribution & Marketing
Distribution Centers Virginia
Oil Seaports/Oil Import Sites Newport News • Norfolk
  Natural Gas Market Centers None
Major Pipelines Virginia
Crude Oil None
Petroleum Product Colonial • Plantation.
Liquefied Petroleum Gases None
  Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines Columbia Gas Transmission Corp. • Cove Point LNG LP. • Dominion Transmission Co. • East Tennessee Natural Gas Co. • Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Co.
Fueling Stations Virginia Share of U.S. Period
Motor Gasoline 4,140 2.6% 2008
Liquefied Petroleum Gases 38 1.5% 2009
Compressed Natural Gas 11 1.4% 2009
Ethanol 8 0.4% 2009
Other Alternative Fuels 26 2.1% 2009
       

 Consumption

per Capita Virginia U.S. Rank Period
Total Energy 339 million Btu    26 2007 Click to see State rankings
by Source Virginia Share of U.S. Period
Total Energy 2,611 trillion Btu 2.6% 2007
Total Petroleum 186.8 million barrels 2.5% 2007
    Motor Gasoline 95.5 million barrels 2.9% 2008
    Distillate Fuel 40.3 million barrels 2.8% 2008
    Liquefied Petroleum Gases 5.2 million barrels 0.7% 2007
    Jet Fuel 16.5 million barrels 2.9% 2008
Natural Gas 319,935 million cu ft 1.4% 2007
Coal W W 2007
by End-Use Sector Virginia Share of U.S. Period
Residential 628,417 billion Btu 2.9% 2007
Commercial 600,540 billion Btu 3.3% 2007
Industrial 567,402 billion Btu 1.7% 2007
Transportation 814,549 billion Btu 2.8% 2007
for Electricity Generation Virginia Share of U.S. Period
Petroleum 32 thousand barrels 1.0% Oct-09
Natural Gas 4,750 million cu ft 0.9% Oct-09
Coal 609 thousand short tons 0.8% Oct-09
for Home Heating (share of households) Virginia U.S. Avg. Period
Natural Gas 34% 51.2% 2000
Fuel Oil 13% 9.0% 2000
Electricity 44% 30.3% 2000
Liquefied Petroleum Gases 5% 6.5% 2000
Other/None 4% 1.8% 2000
       

 Environment
Special Programs Virginia
Clean Cities Coalitions Virginia Clean Cities
Alternative Fuels Virginia Share of U.S. Period
  Alternative-Fueled Vehicles in Use 18,308 2.6% 2007
Ethanol Plants 0 0.0% 2008
Ethanol Plant Capacity 0 million gal/year 0.0% 2008
Ethanol Consumption 6,713 thousand barrels 2.9% 2008
Electric Power Industry Emissions Virginia Share of U.S. Period
  Carbon Dioxide
41,355,324 metric tons 1.7% 2008 Click to see State rankings
  Sulfur Dioxide
142,379 metric tons 1.8% 2008
  Nitrogen Oxide
55,885 metric tons 1.7% 2008
       
     = No data reported.    * = Number less than 0.5 rounded to zero.    NA = Not available.    NM = Not meaningful due to large relative standard error or excessive percentage change.    W = Withheld to avoid disclosure of individual company data.
    Click the icon Click to see State rankings next to a data series to see State rankings for that series.

Update on February 4, 2010
New statistics for November 2009:
• Prices of crude oil, residential heating oil, motor gasoline, and diesel fuel
• Prices of city gate and residential natural gas
• Stocks of motor gasoline and distillate fuel oil
• Natural gas in underground storage
New statistics for September 2009:
• Production of crude oil
New statistics for 2008:
• Consumption of distillate fuel oil
 

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