SHOALS
SubstationAlabama · TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
At a glance
SHOALS is an electric transmission substation in Alabama, on TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY's transmission network. It is classified as sub-transmission (138 kv) and connects 3 transmission lines. Substation proximity is one of the strongest speed-to-power signals for siting a datacenter — interconnection distance to an energized, high-voltage bus is often the binding constraint on time-to-energization.
Voltage & classification
Connected transmission lines
Lines terminating at or passing through this substation, by HIFLD line ID, highest voltage first.
| Line ID | Voltage | Owner | Status | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #115519 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 3.8 mi |
| #117089 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 1.7 mi |
| #142416 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 2.8 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of SHOALS, ranked by DC Readiness. Sites this close to an energized substation carry a strong speed-to-power advantage.
| Site | Type | State | County | Voltage | Capacity | Queue wait | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHEROKEE | Substation-Adjacent | AL | Colbert County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 3.9 yrs | 61.0 |
| Greenfield (WESTPOINT - BROWNS FERRY) | Greenfield | MS | Lawrence County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 3.9 yrs | 60.8 |
| TAP155253 | Substation-Adjacent | AL | Lawrence County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 3.9 yrs | 59.5 |
| NANCE | Substation-Adjacent | AL | Lawrence County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 3.9 yrs | 59.5 |
| SPRING CREEK | Substation-Adjacent | AL | Lawrence County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 3.9 yrs | 59.4 |
| LORETTO | Substation-Adjacent | TN | Lawrence County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 3.9 yrs | 59.4 |
| TAP149929 | Substation-Adjacent | AL | Franklin County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 3.9 yrs | 58.9 |
| FIVE POINTS | Substation-Adjacent | TN | Lawrence County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 3.9 yrs | 58.8 |
How does SHOALS compare with other substations in Alabama?
Alabama has 2,790 substation records in HIFLD, of which 158 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 98 named substations in the state are in SHOALS's 115–229 kV band (62% of named stations). 48 sit in a higher band. 15 named substations in Alabama operate at 345 kV or above. The highest voltage recorded in the state is 500 kV, and the state median is 161 kV.
Who owns the transmission lines at SHOALS?
The 3 connected lines listed above are owned by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY. Line voltages range from 161 kV to 161 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 8.4 miles.
How do candidate sites near SHOALS score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 59 to 61 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Colbert County, Lawrence County, Franklin County. The Alabama average across 3,107 scored sites is 55. 1,164 of those Alabama sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is SHOALS substation?
SHOALS has a maximum voltage of 161 kV. That places it in the 115–229 kV band. The median named US substation in this dataset is 115 kV, so SHOALS is above the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to SHOALS substation?
3 transmission lines terminate at or pass through SHOALS in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 161 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 8.4 miles.
Who owns SHOALS substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at SHOALS belong to TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is SHOALS substation located?
SHOALS is in Alabama at 34.7604, -87.6715. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Colbert County, Lawrence County, Franklin County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near SHOALS substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of SHOALS. The highest-scoring is CHEROKEE at 61/100. Across Alabama, the average DC Readiness score is 55.
Other 161 kV substations in Alabama
- CHEROKEE· 15 lines
- WILSON DAM· 10 lines
- GUNTERSVILLE DAM· 9 lines
- HUNTSVILLE· 9 lines
- DECATUR· 8 lines
- NORTHWEST PRIMARY· 8 lines
- ATHENS· 7 lines
- WHEELER DAM· 7 lines
- All named substations in Alabama· 158 stations
- Datacenter candidate sites in Alabama· 3,107 sites
- Brownfield and retired plant sites in Alabama
- Substations by state
About this data
Source: HIFLD Electric Substations and Transmission Lines (U.S. Department of Homeland Security), as published June 29, 2026. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: GridCensus, “SHOALS substation, Alabama”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/alabama/shoals-b7ea2d4d (data as of June 29, 2026).
Dataset updated . Screening estimates derived from public data sources.
Substation attributes are derived from public HIFLD / EIA infrastructure data and may lag real-world upgrades or retirements. Voltage and connected-line counts are screening figures — confirm available capacity and interconnection terms directly with the operating utility and ISO.
Go deeper than the public screen
Every site and score for SHOALS substation, Alabama is free to browse. Pro adds Watchtower on 25 sites, alerts when new candidate sites, datacenters or interconnection-queue requests appear in your markets, score and capacity history, and CSV export. Enterprise adds team seats, weekly data files for all 147,272 sites, the REST API and an MCP server for AI tools.