Virginia Delegate Eric Phillips Warns of Growing Strain on Power Grid, Calls for In-State Energy Expansion

Virginia Delegate Eric Phillips delivered a forceful warning on the House floor last week about what he described as a mounting strain on the Commonwealth’s electric grid, urging lawmakers to prioritize in-state, dispatchable energy generation to prevent future reliability crises.

Virginia Delegate Eric Phillips

Addressing the Speaker and members of the House, Phillips said energy reliability is no longer a theoretical concern but a pressing issue affecting “every family, every business, every school, and every hospital in the Commonwealth.”

“Virginia’s electric grid is under real and growing strain,” Phillips said. “And unfortunately, we’ve made some policy decisions that are actively making it worse.”

Growing Dependence on Imported Power

Phillips pointed to Virginia’s increasing reliance on electricity generated outside its borders, particularly from West Virginia and Pennsylvania, as a growing vulnerability. Rather than generating sufficient power locally, he said, the Commonwealth is importing electricity over long transmission lines, which can lead to efficiency losses and congestion.

“That’s not energy independence, it’s energy vulnerability,” he said, noting that long-distance transmission can reduce overall efficiency and strain the grid during peak demand.

He cited recent cold-weather events as evidence of the system’s fragility, arguing that during winter storms and cold snaps, Virginia must compete with neighboring states for power.

Solar Performance During Winter Weather

Phillips criticized reliance on intermittent energy sources such as solar power, particularly during severe winter conditions.

According to PJM Interconnection data referenced in his remarks, solar generation contributed little or no power during recent winter weather events. He also noted that solar facilities in his district covered with snow and ice were offline for several days.

“Solar is intermittent. It does not perform well during winter storm mornings, cloudy days, prolonged cold spells, exactly when demand is highest,” Phillips said. “That’s not ideology. It’s physics.”

He argued that while renewable energy has a role in Virginia’s future, it cannot reliably meet peak demand on its own.

Call for Dispatchable Energy Sources

Phillips advocated for constructing modern natural gas combined-cycle power plants within Virginia. He described such facilities as among the cleanest and most efficient large-scale generation technologies available, capable of ramping up quickly to meet demand and operating in all weather conditions.

“These plants provide certainty,” he said. “They don’t depend on the sun shining. They don’t depend on the wind blowing.”

He also expressed support for expanding nuclear energy, including small modular reactor (SMR) technology, and called for bipartisan cooperation to position Virginia as a leader in advanced nuclear development.

Balancing Reliability and Clean Energy Goals

Phillips emphasized that his remarks were not an argument against clean energy but rather a call for balance.

“Reliability is not optional,” he said. “You can’t run a modern economy or protect public safety and national security on best-case assumptions.”

He warned that without sufficient in-state, dispatchable generation, Virginia could face higher costs for ratepayers, limitations on economic development, and risks to critical infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, military installations, and manufacturers.

“There’s simply not enough energy to power our burgeoning economy,” Phillips said.

A Call for Bipartisan Action

In closing, Phillips referenced Winter Storm Fern as a warning sign rather than a failure, urging lawmakers to approach energy policy with practicality and cooperation.

“The grid does not care about policy targets,” he said. “It cares about supply, demand, and physics.”

He called for respectful, fact-based dialogue on the future of baseload and dispatchable energy generation, saying action must come now, not after a crisis.

“So Virginia is not left out in the cold or in the dark,” he concluded.