Virginia energy profile

Manufacturing energy costs in Virginia

As of Jul 2026, industrial electricity in Virginia runs 10.07 cents per kWh. That is 3.1% more expensive than the U.S. average and places the state 32 of 51 nationally.

Current prices in Virginia

  • Industrial electricity: 10.07 cents per kWh (Jul 2026, EIA).
  • Commercial electricity, the rate a warehouse or distribution center in Virginia typically pays: 11.68 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: Nebraska at 10, Georgia at 10.03, Nevada at 10.04 cents. Just above: Minnesota at 10.34, Wisconsin at 10.46, New York at 10.81 cents.

What the rate does to operating cost

  • A 10 kW machine running a 4,000 hour year costs about 4,028 in electricity at Virginia rates versus 3,908 at the national average; at 50 kW the gap is 20,140 versus 19,540, and at 200 kW it is 80,560 versus 78,160.
  • Virginia sits mid-pack for power cost, so energy is neither a site-selection advantage nor a penalty. Estimates built on national averages will land close here, though demand charges and rate schedules still swing the real bill.

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 232,000 manufacturing workers as of Aug 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 2026-09-24.