(The Center Square) – Virginia tops the nation for importing electricity from other states in 2023, according to a new report.
A U.S. Energy Information Administration report shows the commonwealth edging out California despite Virginia being ranked as the 12th most populous state. California remains the most populous. In addition, the commonwealth ranks 35th in land size, while California is ranked third.
The energy demand comes as the commonwealth continues to experience a boom in data centers. It is considered the data center capital of the world, home to 70% of the world’s data centers.
During 2023, the commonwealth imported the most electricity from other states, “with 50.1 million megawatthours (MWh) in net electricity interstate receipts, or 36% of the states total electricity supply.”
The report noted that nearly 10% of the electricity generated in the nation is traded across state lines, with 25 states exceeding their consumption and needing to transmit it across state lines.
In contrast to Virginia’s electricity consumption, Pennsylvania tops the nation for exporting the most electricity, shipping out 83.4 million MWh or 26% of power generated in the Keystone State.
The Energy Information Administration calculated interstate electricity trade by “subtracting reported retail electricity sales, direct use, international exports, and estimated line losses from the electricity generated.”
The agency said, “States are not generally involved in the operation of the electric power systems and do not select which generators run at any given time. Rather, electrical systems called balancing authorities, which often span several states, are ultimately responsible for dispatching resources to meet demand and maintain a matching schedule for generation, demand, and interchange.”
The report comes as the debate in Virginia persists over the growing number of data centers being built, placing strain on the commonwealth’s energy sources. One report, as reported by The Center Square, says the demand for energy could raise energy costs for consumers by as much as 70%.
The Energy Information Administration noted that utilities in California and Virginia have consumed more electricity than they have produced but highlighted that over the past five years, the interstate receipts for Virginia have increased while decreasing in California.
“Between 2019 and 2023, electricity receipts by Virginia utilities increased by 61% (19.0 million MWh), while California utilities’ receipts declined by 39% (27.8 million MWh),” according to the report.
The Energy Information Administration pointed to the rise in commercial sector demand, including data centers, as reasons for increased interstate electricity receipts. The agency credits California’s increase in solar installations and energy efficiency programs for their decrease.
Trailing behind Virginia and California for electricity importers are Massachusetts, Tennessee and Georgia. In contrast, states following Pennsylvania for top electricity exporters are Alabama, Illinois, Wyoming and Arizona.
The report says Pennsylvania, Alabama and Illinois have produced more electricity than the states have consumed in over a decade.
“These states tend to have more capacity relative to their in-state sales or have a resource mix that makes more use of its capacity than in other states. More than 70% of electricity produced in these states comes from nuclear and natural gas plants,” according to the report.
