Virginia energy profile

Manufacturing energy costs in Virginia

As of May 2026, industrial electricity in Virginia runs 10.53 cents per kWh. That is 20.9% more expensive than the U.S. average and places the state 38 of 51 nationally.

Current prices in Virginia

  • Industrial electricity: 10.53 cents per kWh (May 2026, EIA).
  • Commercial electricity, the rate a warehouse or distribution center in Virginia typically pays: 10.84 cents per kWh.
  • Virginia does not report an industrial natural gas price for the latest month; plants there should use their utility contract rate.
  • Just below Virginia on the price ladder: Ohio at 9.87, Illinois at 10.2, Pennsylvania at 10.31 cents. Just above: Delaware at 10.69, Maryland at 11.22, Vermont at 12.59 cents.

What the rate does to operating cost

  • A 10 kW machine running a 4,000 hour year costs about 4,212 in electricity at Virginia rates versus 3,484 at the national average; at 50 kW the gap is 21,060 versus 17,420, and at 200 kW it is 84,240 versus 69,680.
  • At this rate, efficiency projects clear their hurdle faster in Virginia than almost anywhere: every avoided kWh is worth more, so compressed air leak repairs, VFD retrofits, and scheduling around demand charges deserve a fresh look.

What factory labor pays in Virginia

  • Industrial production managers: $61.65/hr median in Virginia versus $60.61 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Industrial engineers: $49.30/hr median in Virginia versus $49.25 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Production supervisors: $35.65/hr median in Virginia versus $35.79 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Tool and die makers: $30.79/hr median in Virginia versus $30.79 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Industrial machinery mechanics: $30.78/hr median in Virginia versus $31.02 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Machinists: $29.47/hr median in Virginia versus $28.24 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Virginia employs about 229,000 manufacturing workers as of Jun 2026 (BLS).

Manufacturing base in Virginia

  • Virginia has 5,019 manufacturing establishments employing about 246,819 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).
  • Largest sectors by establishment count: fabricated metal products (722), food manufacturing (523), printing and related support (421), wood product manufacturing (411), furniture and related products (321).

Sources and update cadence

  • Prices come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and refresh automatically when the agency publishes; this page also archives each month's Virginia observation so the local price history deepens over time.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.