POPLAR AVENUE
Substation-AdjacentShelby, Tennessee · SERC
At a glance
POPLAR AVENUE is a substation-adjacent datacenter candidate site in Shelby, Tennessee, scoring 62.9/100 DC Readiness — 32nd of 75 scored sites in the county. Its nearest substation is POPLAR AVENUE (0 mi, 161 kV). It sits in the SERC grid region and the CITY OF MEMPHIS - (TN) service territory, where interconnection has averaged 3.9 years from request to operation. GridCensus catalogs 100 MW of candidate capacity here.
Power & interconnection
Speed to power
Middle-of-the-pack interconnection conditions for this grid.
Connectivity
Site characteristics
Risk & environment
Location context
Regulatory climate
TVA territory, DC-friendly; fast vertically-integrated interconnection.
TVA infrastructure-cost provisions apply to very large loads.
Incentive detail: Sales tax exemption on DC equipment for $250M+ investments; no state income tax on wages.
Site location
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How does POPLAR AVENUE compare with other sites in Shelby?
POPLAR AVENUE ranks 32nd of 75 scored candidate sites in Shelby. Its 62.9/100 is roughly in line with the county average of 61.2. It is about 10% above the Tennessee average of 57.0 and about 18% above the national average of 53.2.
Against the Tennessee average, its strongest sub-score is power availability (60 vs 42) and its weakest is water (90 vs 89). Power and speed to power each carry 20% of the composite score, fiber 12%, water 7% and hazard 6%.
How close is POPLAR AVENUE to power, fiber and other datacenters?
The nearest mapped substation, POPLAR AVENUE, is about 0 miles away and operates at 161 kV. For connectivity, the nearest internet exchange facility is Level(3) Memphis at 7.6 miles. 12 fiber providers report service at the location in FCC broadband data. The closest operating datacenter on record is xAI Memphis DC, 4.9 miles away.
What are the flood, water and hazard risks at POPLAR AVENUE?
At the county level, FEMA's National Risk Index rates Shelby "Relatively High".
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 Shelby, ranked by DC Readiness.
| Site | Type | Voltage | Capacity | Queue wait | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CORDOVA | Substation-Adjacent | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 3.9 yrs | 71.2 |
| OZ Shelby | Greenfield | — | — | 3.9 yrs | 66.0 |
| EC Near Allen | Greenfield | — | — | 3.9 yrs | 65.2 |
| OZ Shelby | Greenfield | — | — | 3.9 yrs | 65.1 |
| OZ Shelby | Greenfield | — | — | 3.9 yrs | 65.1 |
| OZ Shelby | Greenfield | — | — | 3.9 yrs | 65.0 |
| UNKNOWN115618 | Substation-Adjacent | 161 kV | 100 MW | 3.9 yrs | 64.4 |
| OZ Shelby | Greenfield | — | — | 3.9 yrs | 64.4 |
POPLAR AVENUE: common questions
What is the DC Readiness score of POPLAR AVENUE?
POPLAR AVENUE scores 62.9/100 on the GridCensus DC Readiness scale, rated good. It ranks 32nd of 75 scored sites in Shelby. The Shelby average is 61.2 and the Tennessee average is 57.0.
What is the nearest substation to POPLAR AVENUE?
The nearest mapped substation is POPLAR AVENUE, about 0 miles away, at 161 kV. GridCensus catalogs 100 MW of candidate capacity for the site.
Which electric utility serves POPLAR AVENUE?
CITY OF MEMPHIS - (TN) (municipal) holds the retail service territory that contains the site.
What grid region is POPLAR AVENUE in?
POPLAR AVENUE is in the SERC region. Projects interconnecting there have averaged a 3.9-year wait from queue request to operation.
How far is POPLAR AVENUE from an internet exchange?
The nearest internet exchange facility is Level(3) Memphis, about 7.6 miles away; 12 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, “POPLAR AVENUE, Shelby, TN”, https://gridcensus.com/datacenter-sites/tennessee/shelby/poplar-avenue-c78703fc (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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