COLSTRIP
Substation-AdjacentRosebud County, Montana · WECC
At a glance
COLSTRIP is a substation-adjacent datacenter candidate site in Rosebud County, Montana, scoring 75.8/100 DC Readiness — 1st of 53 scored sites in the county. Its nearest substation is COLSTRIP (0 mi, 500 kV). It sits in the WECC grid region and the NORTHWESTERN ENERGY LLC - (MT) service territory, where interconnection has averaged 1.1 years from request to operation. GridCensus catalogs 1,000 MW of candidate capacity here.
Power & interconnection
Speed to power
Shorter queues and healthier completion here — a faster path to energization than the national norm.
Connectivity
Site characteristics
Risk & environment
Location context
Regulatory climate
No notable statewide DC restriction on record; confirm local zoning and utility tariffs.
Incentive detail: New/expanding industry tax abatement available for DC construction.
Site location
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How does COLSTRIP compare with other sites in Rosebud County?
COLSTRIP ranks 1st of 53 scored candidate sites in Rosebud County. Its 75.8/100 is about 29% above the county average of 58.8. It is about 40% above the Montana average of 54.3 and about 42% above the national average of 53.2.
Against the Montana average, its strongest sub-score is power availability (100 vs 37) and its weakest is water (56 vs 56). Power and speed to power each carry 20% of the composite score, fiber 12%, water 7% and hazard 6%.
How close is COLSTRIP to power, fiber and other datacenters?
The nearest mapped substation, COLSTRIP, is about 0 miles away and operates at 500 kV. For connectivity, the nearest internet exchange facility is ACT Colstrip at 0.3 miles. 3 fiber providers report service at the location in FCC broadband data. The closest operating datacenter on record is ACT Colstrip, 0.3 miles away.
What are the flood, water and hazard risks at COLSTRIP?
At the county level, FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rosebud County "Very Low".
Full DC Readiness breakdown
All 13 weighted sub-scores (0–100) behind the composite DC Readiness score.
Nearby comparable sites
Other scored datacenter candidate sites in Rosebud County, ranked by DC Readiness.
| Site | Type | Voltage | Capacity | Queue wait | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EC Coal Rosebud County | Greenfield | — | — | 1.1 yrs | 65.7 |
| EC Near Colstrip | Greenfield | — | — | 1.1 yrs | 65.7 |
| ROSEBUD CREEK | Substation-Adjacent | 230 kV | 300 MW | 1.1 yrs | 65.2 |
| EC Near Colstrip | Greenfield | — | — | 1.1 yrs | 64.9 |
| EC Near Colstrip | Greenfield | — | — | 1.1 yrs | 64.9 |
| EC Near Colstrip | Greenfield | — | — | 1.1 yrs | 64.6 |
| EC Near Colstrip | Greenfield | — | — | 1.1 yrs | 64.4 |
| EC Near Colstrip | Greenfield | — | — | 1.1 yrs | 64.4 |
COLSTRIP: common questions
What is the DC Readiness score of COLSTRIP?
COLSTRIP scores 75.8/100 on the GridCensus DC Readiness scale, rated excellent. It ranks 1st of 53 scored sites in Rosebud County. The Rosebud County average is 58.8 and the Montana average is 54.3.
What is the nearest substation to COLSTRIP?
The nearest mapped substation is COLSTRIP, about 0 miles away, at 500 kV. GridCensus catalogs 1,000 MW of candidate capacity for the site.
Which electric utility serves COLSTRIP?
NORTHWESTERN ENERGY LLC - (MT) (investor owned) holds the retail service territory that contains the site; its holding company is NORTHWESTERN ENERGY.
What grid region is COLSTRIP in?
COLSTRIP is in the WECC region. Projects interconnecting there have averaged a 1.1-year wait from queue request to operation.
How far is COLSTRIP from an internet exchange?
The nearest internet exchange facility is ACT Colstrip, about 0.3 miles away; 3 fiber providers report service at the location.
Related pages
About this data
Source: GridCensus composite of HIFLD transmission and substation data, EIA, FEMA National Risk Index, FCC broadband data, PeeringDB and ISO interconnection queues, as published October 10, 2026 — GridCensus refreshes it monthly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: GridCensus, “COLSTRIP, Rosebud County, MT”, https://gridcensus.com/datacenter-sites/montana/rosebud-county/colstrip-c5477d38 (data as of October 10, 2026).
Dataset updated . Screening estimates derived from public data sources.
Figures are screening estimates derived from public infrastructure data. Catalogued capacity reflects theoretical candidate capacity, not deliverable or committed interconnection. Confirm all values with the utility, ISO, and on-the-ground due diligence.
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