The Virginia Department of Energy leads the Commonwealth to a safe, reliable and responsible energy future.

We envision Virginia Energy as a nationally recognized energy, geology, and mineral extraction customer service agency that showcases worker and public safety, and environmental protection. Further, we see ourselves as a model agency known for the leadership of our people -- one that uses strategic planning and management to provide the high quality, innovative, one-stop service and information that adds value in the eyes of our customers and the public; is trusted to exhibit high standards of competency and fairness in all aspects of our work and relationships; and empowers, develops, and treats our employees with fairness and respect creating the workplace of choice in our communities.

In Dealing With Our Customers, We Value:

• Operating with a high sense of ethics, honesty, and integrity.


• Demonstrating fairness, respect, responsiveness, straightforwardness, and deliberateness in our actions and communications.


• Functioning in a competent and knowledgeable manner, which emphasizes such principles as:  consistency in service provision; attentiveness to customer’s needs and their organizational and operational requirements; and being firm, yet flexible, in delivering services which focus on safety, energy, the environment, and economic development.


• Operating in a seamless manner to deliver quality customer services.

In Dealing With Each Other, We Value:

• Recognizing each other’s outstanding accomplishments.


• Setting priorities to ensure that critical/essential services are delivered with quality by staff that are properly supported and equipped with adequate resources.


• Meeting the requirements of the law and externally driven policies, but always being innovative where flexibility exists.


• Innovation and creativity, acknowledging that mistakes will be made from which we can learn.


• Trust and mutual respect.


• Doing the right things, ethically and honestly.


• Developing and training ourselves.


• Going beyond normal duties to help others and to seek and provide accurate and helpful advice.


• Openly communicating agency plans and decisions and, therefore, recognizing each other’s need for information and understanding.


• Assuming accountability for work quality, while at the same time, accepting responsibility for working seamlessly.


• Our safety and well-being.


• The importance of a healthy work-life balance.


• A diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment.

The Department of Energy (Virginia Energy) supports the safe and environmentally sound stewardship of Virginia’s mineral and energy resources to promote economic growth. Virginia Energy provides for worker safety on coal and mineral mine sites throughout the Commonwealth. Virginia Energy also assists with worker safety on gas and oil extraction sites. The agency investigates complaints from citizens living near mining or gas and oil extraction sites, works to eliminate off-site environmental damages, and ensures proper reclamation of land used for mineral extraction.

Mineral resources have played a significant role in Virginia’s growth and development since the settlement of Jamestown when English colonists began mining and smelting iron in 1609. The first commercial coal mining in the United States occurred near Richmond in 1748. Today, over 400 different minerals have been found and more than 30 different mineral resources are produced in Virginia at a combined annual value of nearly $2 billion. In 2022, Virginia ranked 17th in the production of natural gas, and 10th in coal production. In 2022, Virginia ranked 8th in the production of crushed stone, often used in road construction.

Virginia Energy serves as Virginia’s geologic survey, performing investigations aimed at reducing risk from geologic hazards and encouraging sustainable development through the wise use of mineral, land, water, and energy resources. Virginia Energy also publishes maps and reports, maintains repositories of geological and geophysical data, as well as rock, fossil, and core samples.

Housing the state’s energy office, Virginia Energy advances energy efficiency in state government and the private sector. The agency staffs the Virginia Solar Energy Development and Energy Storage Authority, the Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority, the Clean Energy Advisory Board, the Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium Authority and administers grant and revolving loan programs to facilitate the growth of the renewable energy industry. Additionally, Virginia Energy works with stakeholders to promote economic development in the natural resource and energy sectors.

DMME continues to focus on its core services in order to fulfill its mission to enhance the development and conservation of mineral and energy resources in a safe and environmentally sound manner in order to support a more productive economy. DMME utilizes its robust strategic planning process, long an agency strength, to identify efficiencies, generate new opportunities, and prepare for the future in challenging economic times. As a matter of course, DMME identifies existing processes that can be improved, thus providing increased benefits to its customers.

In fiscal year 2021 and beyond, DMME anticipates coal mining and natural gas drilling to continue to occur in close proximity in Southwest Virginia. DMME's regulatory divisions will continue to work closely together to ensure both activities are conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible fashion. DMME will continue to search for more innovative and efficient methods to provide training and certification services to its customers.

Technological advancements will be utilized across the agency. For example, geographic information systems and global positioning satellite systems will be utilized to ensure pinpoint accuracy of mineral data on permits, maps, and mineral resource information. DMME is also utilizing drone technology to more easily map abandoned mine land hazards, which is available to inspectors on a smartphone application.

DMME is partnering with the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the state geological surveys of other Atlantic states to identify new sources of sand in federal waters off the east coast. Known as the Atlantic Sand Assessment Project (ASAP), the initiative aims to assess the quality and volume of sand resources that can be used in future shoreline recovery and resiliency efforts. In the recent past, offshore sand resources have been essential to the maintenance of beaches at Wallops Island, Dam Neck, Sandbridge, and Virginia Beach.

With respect to energy, DMME will deliver an updated Virginia Energy Plan to the Governor and General Assembly in October 2022. DMME will play an important role in the growth of the emerging energy technology industries by providing staff support to the Virginia Solar Energy Development and Energy Storage Authority and Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority. DMME will also continue to manage the Virginia Energy Management Program (VEMP), providing participating government entities with the tools to conserve and reduce energy usage and provide cost certainty via long-term bulk fuel purchase contracts. Additionally, DMME is taking the lead among southeastern states in developing a publicly accessible database of the region's geothermal energy resources. Finally, DMME will partner with the Department of General Services to convert the state vehicle fleet to alternative fuels.

The Virginia Department of Energy provides robust IT solutions that support the agency's program areas with the goal of guiding the Commonwealth toward a reliable and responsible energy future. The agency adheres to established Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA) standards for users, software, and hardware, and ensures that all applications are consistently scanned and vulnerabilities addressed to maintain security for agency personnel and the public.

Virginia Energy has developed custom, innovative business applications for its clients and staff, offering advanced capabilities in mapping/GIS, enforcement and regulation across mineral and mining program areas, and permitting for mined lands.The Department continues to enhance the enterprise mapping infrastructure and dedicates significant resources to keeping existing web applications up-to-date in terms of security and performance. Looking ahead, Virginia Energy plans to explore new avenues for in-house IT solutions, with a focus on applications for renewable energy and grant support in the coming years. All agency applications serve as a growing resource for industry customers to meet safety and reclamation requirements, improve agency staff productivity, and provide valuable information to the public.

IT costs present challenges for the agency as funding demands increase. Balancing user needs while maintaining effective software in an increasingly costly environment is becoming more difficult. The dynamic requirements of various program areas necessitate ever-changing data for analysis and decision-making, which requires a sustained effort in efficient data capture, storage, protection, and exchange. The high cost of storage prevents the implementation of new and innovative solutions.

Years of software development are being re-engineered to enhance efficiency while upholding the high standards of service for which our agency is known. New IT processes and workflows are being adopted to improve feature implementation and better automate the routine tasks associated with software development. These implementations ensure that IT solutions will better serve the agency and the Commonwealth as a whole.

Virginia Energy current has 237 FTE (full-time equivalent) positions, with 201 filled as of August 10th, 2024.  Virginia Energy’s FTE number has ranged from a high of 298 to its current low. Due to the highly tenured employee population at Virginia Energy, 20% of the employee population is eligible to retire today due to years of service and age.  This poses a huge risk to the loss of tacit knowledge, institutional processes, and ability to recruit in today’s war for talent. Virginia Energy continues to build out business continuity plans realizing that the agency’s human capital is its greatest risk.

Virginia Energy maintains three offices across Virginia, one of which it owns (Big Stone Gap), another that is provided space by the Department of Forestry in Charlottesville at no cost, and one that is leased (Richmond). The largest of these facilities is the Buchanan-Smith Building in Big Stone Gap. This facility is 25,827 square feet of office space for approximately 80 staff members, an active file area, an Emergency Response Center, a customer assistance center, and the agency’s garage of 6,000 square feet that maintains most of the agency’s 110 vehicles.

The Buchanan-Smith Building was completed and occupied in 1992 and has maintenance needs typical of a 30 year old building. Virginia Energy completed an energy performance contract with Trane to upgrade all lighting in the building, garage facility, and all outside lighting to LEDs. The performance contract also included the replacement of the facility’s chiller, and replaced one of the coal fired boilers with a modern propane boiler to be used in transition periods to increase energy efficiency.The agency recently replaced the roof and installed solar panels.  Maintenance of asphalt surfaces and painting (exterior and interior) will be assessed and contracted depending on budget availability.

Virginia Energy’s Richmond office is located in the Washington Building on Capitol Square and houses 20 staff members. The agency has leased this space from the Department of General Services since 2009. 

Virginia Energy's offices in Charlottesville are located in the Department of Forestry’s building in the Fontaine Research Park. The agency moved into this building in 1994. The facility features office space for 32 staff members, a research laboratory, a large library, and a customer assistance area.

DMME Workforce

Reflecting the overall aging of America’s workforce, DMME is facing the need to replace a significant proportion of its workforce in the next five years. A number of employees have left the agency in recent years and more will be eligible for retirement in the coming biennium.  Specifically, 47 percent of employees are eligible to retire with more than 30 years of service. This change in workforce requires DMME to transfer a tremendous amount of the institutional knowledge, which helps the agency understand and address the challenges of providing high quality customer service in the worker safety, environmental protection, geology, and energy conservation arenas to new employees. Recruitment and retention are made more difficult as regulated industries continue to offer high wages and other incentives to deal with similar labor shortages. DMME has proactively updated its succession plans and task descriptions across the agency to prepare for these changes.

The Future of Coal

Given the increased pressures from cheaper fuels such as natural gas and global economic trends the future of coal is an uncertain one. Recently, coal prices have stabilized due in part to changes in federal policies. Idled mines have reopened and new permits have been issued. The economy in Southwest Virginia is tremendously impacted by changes in the coal industry, with ripple effects felt throughout the Commonwealth, which makes long-term economic diversification vital.

Uncertainty of Federal Policies and Funding

The new federal administration has increased uncertainty regarding federal policies and funding. While it is clear the administration intends, and has already taken action, to decreased federal regulations relating to mining, it is unclear the long-term impacts this will have on production and economic activity including job growth. The federal administration has also signaled it may decrease federal funds to states for certain programs, which could impact DMME including certain federally funded positions as well as services funded by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the Department of Energy. In FY2019, 41 percent of DMME’s funding is budgeted from federal sources. DMME is including strategies for flexibly handling changes in federal funding and policies in the agency’s strategic plan.

For FY 2025, Virginia Energy's funding derives from federal funds (52%), general fund appropriation (30%), permit and license fees paid by mineral extraction operators (7%), bond forfeiture proceeds (4%), indirect cost recovery revenue (4%), and miscellaneous sources such as state designated mine rescue team dues, civil penalty payments, and orphaned mineral mine or well reclamation or plugging revenues (4%).

Virgina Energy's reported revenues are derived from ARRA related grants, other federal grants, indirect cost recoveries, license and permit fees, and other miscellaneous sources, such as civil penalty payments and orphaned mineral mine or well reclamation funds.

These statistics reflect the breadth of DMME's responsibilities with respect to inspection of permitted sites.  They also reflect the growth of the agency's energy performance contracting program and the wide variety of geologic and mineral resource material available. All statistics are current as of June 30, 2018.

Market forces wil largely drive growth or decline in DMME's regulated industries.  Actions at the federal level with respect to regulations or budget cuts may also affect these industries.

Virginia Energy offers a wide variety of products and services to its diverse customer base, which includes the following:

• permitting review services ensure mineral extraction operations are safe, protect  the environment, and comply with existing laws and regulations.



• customer assistance services help customers maintain safe and environmentally protective mineral extraction sites in compliance with regulatory requirements.

• thorough and consistent inspection of permitted sites and enforces laws and regulations addressing worker safety on mineral extraction sites, operational and reclamation environmental controls, and water quality to ensure compliance.



• worker certification and training, technical assistance, risk assessment, hazard identification, and cooperative projects, such as mine safety, environmental protection and land reclamation during mineral extraction.



• publicly available geologic and mineral resource information to effectively manage development of natural resources, such as coal, natural gas, crushed stone and industrial minerals, and geothermal energy.



• working with industry, state and federal agencies and local governments to respond to and mitigate natural and manmade hazards related to mining, drilling, earthquakes, and landslides.



• reclamation of abandoned mineral extraction sites, corrects damage and mitigates risks of future damage from improperly reclaimed sites while supporting economic development.

Economic Development:



• incentives and grant programs for energy industry development to increase jobs and economic activity in Virginia.

• providing mineral resource information to businesses seeking to develop deposits such as precious metals, rare earth elements, industrial minerals, and aggregate.



• preparing the comprehensive Virginia Energy Plan (VEP), which proposes actions consistent with the energy objectives and the Commonwealth Energy Policy including encouraging investment in innovative technologies and supporting programs that stimulate economic growth such as energy performance contracting and property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing. 

Virginia Energy continues to meet or exceed targets in its department-wide measures. Agency metrics for safety, environmental protection, and worker training all reflect high-quality performance.



Relevant performance measures continue to reflect Virginia Energy’s emphasis on efficient, effective core services, and continuous quality improvement. Injury rates are stable, permits continue to be processed in a timely fashion, and customers consistently rate training provided by Virginia Energy as excellent. Productivity and efficiency gains enhance service delivery and support adjustments in staff and resources.

Virginia needs energy and mineral resources to support its economy and to give its citizens the materials and resources they need. These resources need to be developed responsibly to ensure the safety and protection of mineral extraction workers, the public and the environment.

Virginia Energy's first objective under Goal 1 is to eliminate accidents, injuries and fatalities at regulated sites throughout the Commonwealth.

• Conduct mandated inspections, identifying and eliminating unsafe conditions and practices.

• Investigate all reported accidents, incidents, and complaints and implement measures to prevent recurrence.

• Maintain mine rescue capability for emergency situations in Coal Mine Safety and Mineral Mining.

• Assist operators with safety issues and upon request conduct safety training for miners and oil and gas workers.

• Support safety award recognition programs to acknowledge exemplary safety practices within Virginia

• Measure the serious personal injury-fatality incident rate and the percentage of safety violations eliminated by the violations’ due dates.

The second objective is to reduce environmental and public safety hazards across the Commonwealth.

• Achieve 100% compliance with inspection and complaint investigation schedules outlined in applicable laws and regulations.

• Achieve reduced timeframes for new permit applications and amendments processing compared to the average processing time of the previous two years.

• Provide assistance for all public health/safety concerns and environmental issues within specified timeframes after identification, ensuring a 100% response rate.

• Provide timely assistance to operators with reclamation issues upon request, ensuring a 100% response rate and satisfactory resolution of issues.

• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with local, state, and federal agencies, demonstrating active cooperation on environmental and safety initiatives through documented partnerships and joint projects.

• Continue the inventory and prioritization of abandoned, orphaned, and bond forfeited sites, initiating reclamation efforts on priority sites.

• Identify and secure funding for projects aimed at eliminating adverse environmental, public safety, and geologic hazards.

• Actively promote and support industry awards programs, resulting in the recognition of outstanding contributions to reclamation.

• Conduct investigations of geologic hazards, issuing timely reports with mitigation recommendations

This objective reflects Virginia Energy's commitment to the safety of those who work on mineral and fossil fuel extraction sites throughout the Commonwealth.

• Train and certify miners so that mine sites are safe and miners work safely.

• Enhance First Aid training by producing supplemental videos, in collaboration with the Communications Department, to complement materials in the Emergency Care & Safety Institute (ECSI) training package.

• Conduct reclamation training for Mineral Mining workers.

This goal supports Virginia Energy's mission to lead the Commonwealth to a reliable and responsible energy future.

Virginia Energy's Goal 2, Objective 1 is intended to expand economic development opportunities throughout the state by identifying and organizing resources, and collaborating with localities, customers, and other stakeholders for more effective economic development outcomes.

• Collaborate with stakeholders to develop and implement marketing strategies highlighting Virginia’s competitive advantages in energy, resulting in an increase in investment and participation from the energy supply chain.

• Increase investments in the Office of Economic Development (OED), ensure appropriate staffing levels to effectively execute duties and further integrate with existing programs.

• Facilitate meaningful involvement with stakeholders to seek ways to serve historically economically disadvantaged communities.

•  Effectively coordinate opportunities associated with AML Title IV: AMLER and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

• Expand energy financing programs for energy investments utilizing Virginia Clean Energy Investment Bank and other sources.

• Pursue and successfully deploy federal funds for projects, including but not limited to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act.

• Deliver comprehensive geologic, mineral, and energy resources information and maps to stakeholders, enabling informed decision-making processes, preserving geologic data, and ensuring the availability of up-to-date and accurate information.

• Develop and implement the quadrennial Virginia Energy Plan by October 1st, 2026.

This objective is intended to improve several Virginia Energy programs' economic development opportunities by encouraging partnerships with key stakeholders.

• Provide information on potential post-mine land use sites and track the number of sites and acres.

• Promote innovative reclamation on coal mine sites and track the number of sites and acres.

• Secure funding to identify critical mineral and energy resources and build partnerships to develop these resources.

• Work with key stakeholders to advance energy and storage solutions.

• Further develop capacity for community building and economic development-oriented outreach.

This goal seeks to ensure that internal administrative processes are well-designed, clearly communicated and adequately resourced to ensure effective operations.

This objective is intended to enhance operational efficiency and organizational success.

• Develop a grant summary for each newly awarded grant with key administrative and technical requirements for affected Divisions within a timeframe that ensures effective deployment of funds.

• The Office of Financial Services (OFS), in collaboration with agency leadership, will pursue strategies and procedures that return audit risk rating for the agency to low.

• Develop internal administrative support teams to ensure appropriate staffing levels and technical resources to serve divisions in a timely manner and implement federal, state or other external requirements.

• Develop, maintain and improve internal communication processes, including periodic review of whether structures and execution are sufficient to meet the needs of a growing and diversifying agency.

• Administration leadership will conduct regular evaluations, including an annual survey, to determine the effectiveness of internal procedures and resources and identify any improvements.

This objective reinforces Virginia Energy's commitment to meeting its goals in the Strategic Plan and empowers the agency to monitor and make changes that are necessary.

• Identify unique staffing needs within each division and develop tailored recruitment strategies to fill positions.

• Develop innovative, on-demand specialized trainings, created by the subject matter experts, for agency policies.

• Encourage and develop mentorship opportunities tailored to participating divisions

• Employee and supervisors will identify appropriate job-specific trainings, including through the performance management process.

• Employ targeted, structured, and time limited intra-agency collaborations and team development to address emerging or critical issues, ensuring fair opportunities for participation for all staff.

• Office of Human Resources, in partnership with Division Managers, will continue to develop structured and transparent career pathways for employees of each Division.