Report 1570f94d-26cd-4085-b720-9ce0c596c408 · The Virginia Capacity Report

### Workforce and Capacity Trends Virginia’s regional capacity remains heavily bifurcated by workforce availability. Bath County currently leads the state in overall capacity with a score of 61.81, supported by a high workforce score of 92.8 and a low unemployment rate of 2.6% [3112d13e, Capacity Scores]. Augusta County follows closely (61.57 overall) with an unemployment rate of 2.7% [3112d13e, Capacity Scores]. In contrast, Buchanan County reports the state's highest unemployment rate at 6.9%, followed by Accomack County (4.3%) and Brunswick County (4.1%) [3112d13e]. Northern Virginia hubs such as Arlington and Albemarle continue to show tight labor markets with 2.9% unemployment, maintaining high capacity scores (61.09) due to large absolute labor forces of 151,104 and 61,682 respectively [3112d13e, Capacity Scores]. ### Energy Market Dynamics Retail electricity prices in Virginia showed notable volatility through Q1 2026. The average retail price peaked at 17.05 cents/kWh in March 2026, a significant increase from 15.27 cents/kWh in December 2025 [13e72d26]. Total retail sales of electricity reached 11,256 thousand MWh in March, down from a January peak of 14,043 thousand MWh [13e72d26]. Net generation for March 2026 was recorded at 6,299.97 MWh, with a negative generation component of -120.60 MWh noted in the data [13e72d26]. ### Water Infrastructure and Quality Hydrological data as of June 18, 2026, indicates varied flow rates across the Commonwealth. The Potomac River near Washington D.C. shows the highest volume at 2,650 cfs, while the North Fork Shenandoah at Cootes Store is significantly constrained at 22.6 cfs [589b5762]. Water system reliability remains a localized concern. Multiple health-based violations were recorded in recent periods, most notably in system VA1071460 (9 violations in May 2025) and VA1051726 (18 violations as of October 2022) [38179aac]. Newer violations were flagged in June 2025 for system VA1063220 [38179aac]. ### Regional Outlook * **Gaining Capacity:** Western and Central regions, specifically Bath and Augusta Counties, are leveraging high workforce participation and stable infrastructure scores [3112d13e, Capacity Scores]. * **Constrained:** Southwest Virginia (Buchanan County) is constrained by high unemployment, while the Shenandoah region faces low surface water flow rates [3112d13e, 589b5762]. * **Leaders to Watch:** Officials should monitor the rising retail energy costs, which have increased approximately 11% in certain price tiers since year-end 2025 [13e72d26]. Additionally, the continued talent development partnerships at Virginia Tech and other universities are cited as critical for maintaining the state’s labor pipeline [6e4dbe13].

Weekly Virginia Capacity Brief — 6/18/2026

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