SWITCH
SubstationColorado · EMPIRE ELECTRIC ASSN, INC
At a glance
SWITCH is an electric transmission substation in Colorado, on EMPIRE ELECTRIC ASSN, INC's transmission network. It is classified as distribution (69–115 kv) and connects 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #212077 | 69 kV | EMPIRE ELECTRIC ASSN, INC | — | 0.4 mi |
| #212078 | 69 kV | EMPIRE ELECTRIC ASSN, INC | — | 1.1 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of SWITCH, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOST CANYON | Substation-Adjacent | CO | Montezuma County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 4.3 yrs | 58.3 |
| EAST CORTEZ | Substation-Adjacent | CO | Montezuma County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 55.3 |
| UNKNOWN205923 | Substation-Adjacent | CO | Montezuma County | 138 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 55.1 |
| UNKNOWN205922 | Substation-Adjacent | CO | Montezuma County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 55.1 |
| TAP203978 | Substation-Adjacent | CO | Montezuma County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 54.3 |
| UNKNOWN208050 | Substation-Adjacent | CO | Montezuma County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 53.8 |
| UNKNOWN208065 | Substation-Adjacent | CO | Montezuma County | 138 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 53.8 |
| UNKNOWN206133 | Substation-Adjacent | CO | Montezuma County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 53.4 |
How does SWITCH compare with other substations in Colorado?
Colorado has 1,214 substation records in HIFLD, of which 400 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 38 named substations in the state are in SWITCH's 69–114 kV band (10% of named stations). 354 sit in a higher band. 20 named substations in Colorado operate at 345 kV or above. The highest voltage recorded in the state is 345 kV, and the state median is 115 kV.
Who owns the transmission lines at SWITCH?
The 2 connected lines listed above are owned by EMPIRE ELECTRIC ASSN, INC. Line voltages range from 69 kV to 69 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 1.5 miles.
How do candidate sites near SWITCH score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 53 to 58 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Montezuma County. The Colorado average across 3,428 scored sites is 50.6. 899 of those Colorado sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is SWITCH substation?
SWITCH has a maximum voltage of 69 kV. That places it in the 69–114 kV band. The median named US substation in this dataset is 115 kV, so SWITCH is below the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to SWITCH substation?
2 transmission lines terminate at or pass through SWITCH in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 69 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 1.5 miles.
Who owns SWITCH substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at SWITCH belong to EMPIRE ELECTRIC ASSN, INC. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is SWITCH substation located?
SWITCH is in Colorado at 37.5884, -108.7637. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Montezuma County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near SWITCH substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of SWITCH. The highest-scoring is LOST CANYON at 58/100. Across Colorado, the average DC Readiness score is 50.6.
Other 69 kV substations in Colorado
- SOUTH FORK· 4 lines
- GLENWOOD· 3 lines
- HOMELAKE· 3 lines
- MOFFAT· 3 lines
- MOSCA JCT· 3 lines
- CARMET· 2 lines
- DEBEQUE· 2 lines
- EAST PORTAL· 2 lines
- All named substations in Colorado· 400 stations
- Datacenter candidate sites in Colorado· 3,428 sites
- Brownfield and retired plant sites in Colorado
- 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, “SWITCH substation, Colorado”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/colorado/switch-0ded2fdc (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 SWITCH substation, Colorado 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.