SMITH LAKE
Substation-AdjacentMcKinley County, New Mexico · WECC
At a glance
SMITH LAKE is a substation-adjacent datacenter candidate site in McKinley County, New Mexico, scoring 49.1/100 DC Readiness — 29th of 70 scored sites in the county. Its nearest substation is SMITH LAKE (0 mi, 115 kV). It sits in the WECC grid region, where interconnection has averaged 3.5 years from request to operation. GridCensus catalogs 100 MW of candidate capacity here.
Power & interconnection
Speed to power
Deep queue and long historical waits — plan for a multi-year interconnection timeline and engage the utility early.
Connectivity
Site characteristics
Risk & environment
Location context
Regulatory climate
No notable statewide DC restriction on record; confirm local zoning and utility tariffs.
Site location
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How does SMITH LAKE compare with other sites in McKinley County?
SMITH LAKE ranks 29th of 70 scored candidate sites in McKinley County. Its 49.1/100 is roughly in line with the county average of 46.9. It is roughly in line with the New Mexico average of 47.8 and roughly in line with the national average of 53.2.
Against the New Mexico average, its strongest sub-score is power availability (56 vs 38) and its weakest is fiber connectivity (46 vs 52). Power and speed to power each carry 20% of the composite score, fiber 12%, water 7% and hazard 6%.
How close is SMITH LAKE to power, fiber and other datacenters?
The nearest mapped substation, SMITH LAKE, is about 0 miles away and operates at 115 kV. For connectivity, the nearest internet exchange facility is Oso Grande Technologies at 92.3 miles. 3 fiber providers report service at the location in FCC broadband data. The closest operating datacenter on record is Oso Grande, 92.3 miles away.
What are the flood, water and hazard risks at SMITH LAKE?
The site is in FEMA flood zone X, outside the Special Flood Hazard Area (minimal or moderate flood risk). At the county level, FEMA's National Risk Index rates McKinley County "Relatively 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 McKinley County, ranked by DC Readiness.
| Site | Type | Voltage | Capacity | Queue wait | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCKINLEY | Substation-Adjacent | 345 kV | 600 MW | 3.5 yrs | 55.8 |
| EC Near Escalante | Greenfield | — | — | 3.5 yrs | 54.0 |
| EC Near Escalante | Greenfield | — | — | 3.5 yrs | 53.9 |
| AMBROSIA | Substation-Adjacent | 230 kV | 300 MW | 3.5 yrs | 53.8 |
| EC Near Escalante | Greenfield | — | — | 3.5 yrs | 53.7 |
| EC Coal McKinley County | Greenfield | — | — | 3.5 yrs | 53.2 |
| EC Near Escalante | Greenfield | — | — | 3.5 yrs | 53.2 |
| SEVEN LAKES | Substation-Adjacent | 230 kV | 300 MW | 3.5 yrs | 53.1 |
SMITH LAKE: common questions
What is the DC Readiness score of SMITH LAKE?
SMITH LAKE scores 49.1/100 on the GridCensus DC Readiness scale, rated fair. It ranks 29th of 70 scored sites in McKinley County. The McKinley County average is 46.9 and the New Mexico average is 47.8.
What is the nearest substation to SMITH LAKE?
The nearest mapped substation is SMITH LAKE, about 0 miles away, at 115 kV. GridCensus catalogs 100 MW of candidate capacity for the site.
What grid region is SMITH LAKE in?
SMITH LAKE is in the WECC region. Projects interconnecting there have averaged a 3.5-year wait from queue request to operation.
Is SMITH LAKE in a flood zone?
The site is in FEMA flood zone X, outside the Special Flood Hazard Area (minimal or moderate flood risk).
How far is SMITH LAKE from an internet exchange?
The nearest internet exchange facility is Oso Grande Technologies, about 92.3 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, “SMITH LAKE, McKinley County, NM”, https://gridcensus.com/datacenter-sites/new-mexico/mckinley-county/smith-lake-1905b40d (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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