Virginians are opening their power bills this winter and feeling a gut punch as higher costs and less predictability continue to plague Virginian homes.
A local report noted that some customers say their bills have doubled, in some cases tripled, during the latest cold stretch. A spokesperson for Dominion Energy pointed to weather as a major factor, saying December 2025 was the coldest December since 2010 and that HVAC systems worked harder. The National Weather Service office for eastern Virginia also said that December temperatures averaged roughly 3–5°F colder than normal across much of the area.
Regulators have approved significant base-rate increases. In late November 2025, the Virginia State Corporation Commission rejected Dominion’s full request but still approved higher revenues for 2026 and 2027, translating to an estimated $11.24/month increase in 2026 for a “typical residential customer,” plus another $2.36/month in 2027.
The demand side is also exploding, especially from Northern Virginia’s massive data-center boom. A 2024 report from Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission found unconstrained statewide power demand could double within a decade, with data centers as the main concern.
They also warned that even if data centers pay their current cost of service, their growth can still push systemwide costs higher for everyone by requiring new generation and transmission infrastructure. At the regional level, grid operators like PJM Interconnection have faced rising reliability and cost concerns tied to large new loads, prompting federal attention to new rules for connecting these facilities. (RELATED: Virginia Senate Advances Sweeping Gun Safety Bills Once Vetoed by Youngkin)
The frustration with Abigail Spanberger is that her “affordability” messaging hasn’t translated into immediate, measurable relief for families staring at higher bills right now. Spanberger is doubling down on the very policy direction that helped create today’s cost pressures, the heavy regulatory mandates and carbon-style programs that add compliance costs to the system.
Ahead of her inauguration, it was indicated she intended to move Virginia back toward the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) , a policy that is seen as an energy tax that ultimately shows up on ratepayers’ bills. (RELATED: Virginia Judge Blocks Democratic Redistricting Push, Casting Doubt on April Referendum)