(The Center Square) – Virginia remained under an emergency declaration Monday as lingering winter weather continued to disrupt travel and strain the regional power grid, with prolonged cold increasing higher electricity demand across much of the commonwealth.
First-term Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger declared the emergency ahead of Winter Storm Fern after forecasts showed snow, ice and dangerous travel conditions across large portions of the state. The declaration allows state agencies to coordinate response efforts and access additional resources as impacts continue.
“As we continue responding to this storm, I encourage Virginians to limit travel where possible, take precautions to stay warm, and check on neighbors who may need help,” Spanberger said in a statement. “State agencies remain fully engaged as we monitor conditions and support local response efforts.”
While major highways have largely reopened, driving conditions remain uneven in many areas. Transportation officials said secondary roads and neighborhood streets are still hazardous in parts of the state as crews continue plowing and treating remaining snow and ice. Cold temperatures have slowed melting and extended hazardous conditions.
Beyond travel disruptions, the prolonged cold has increased demand on the electric grid serving Virginia and surrounding states. Virginia is part of the PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator that supplies electricity across 13 states and the District of Columbia.
As of Monday morning, most electricity across the Mid-Atlantic was coming from fossil fuels and nuclear power.
According to PJM data, natural gas made up the largest share of electricity generation Monday morning at about 38.8%, followed by nuclear power at roughly 26% and coal at about 22.7%. Wind and solar together accounted for a much smaller share of generation, with wind contributing about 4.8% and solar about 1.5%, while the remaining electricity came from hydroelectric power and other sources.
Cold temperatures also led to scattered power outages across Virginia. As of Monday morning, nearly 2,800 Dominion Energy customers statewide were without power, with the highest numbers in the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck, followed by parts of Southeastern Virginia.
PJM said it has issued cold weather alerts across its service area and is monitoring power plant and transmission operations as electricity demand remains elevated during the cold spell.
