WEST FRANKFORT
SubstationIllinois · AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY
At a glance
WEST FRANKFORT is an electric transmission substation in Illinois, on AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY's transmission network. It is classified as high-voltage (230 kv) and connects 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #127130 | 230 kV | AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY | IN SERVICE | 47.8 mi |
| #117147 | 230 kV | AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY | IN SERVICE | 20.0 mi |
| #130096 | 138 kV | AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY | IN SERVICE | 10.3 mi |
| #117950 | 138 kV | AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY | IN SERVICE | 5.4 mi |
| #167430 | 138 kV | AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY | IN SERVICE | 19.0 mi |
| #124457 | 138 kV | AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY | IN SERVICE | 15.9 mi |
| #170303 | 69 kV | AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY | IN SERVICE | 10.2 mi |
| #176105 | 69 kV | AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY | — | 1.9 mi |
| #176137 | 69 kV | AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY | — | 3.5 mi |
| #178036 | 69 kV | AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY | IN SERVICE | 9.1 mi |
| #144604 | 69 kV | AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY | IN SERVICE | 17.9 mi |
| #170280 | 69 kV | AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY | IN SERVICE | 8.4 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of WEST FRANKFORT, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEST FRANKFORT EAST | Substation-Adjacent | IL | Franklin County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.8 yrs | 62.4 |
| WEST FRANKFORT | Substation-Adjacent | IL | Franklin County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 4.8 yrs | 60.8 |
| EC Coal Saline County | Greenfield | IL | Saline County | — | — | 4.8 yrs | 60.4 |
| EC Coal Johnson County | Greenfield | IL | Johnson County | — | — | 4.8 yrs | 60.3 |
| EC Coal Williamson County | Greenfield | IL | Williamson County | — | — | 4.8 yrs | 59.9 |
| EC FFE Williamson County | Greenfield | IL | Williamson County | — | — | 4.8 yrs | 59.8 |
| EC Coal Williamson County | Greenfield | IL | Williamson County | — | — | 4.8 yrs | 59.5 |
| EC Coal Franklin County | Greenfield | IL | Franklin County | — | — | 4.8 yrs | 59.4 |
How does WEST FRANKFORT compare with other substations in Illinois?
Illinois has 1,986 substation records in HIFLD, of which 209 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 3 named substations in the state are in WEST FRANKFORT's 230–344 kV band (1% of named stations). 92 sit in a higher band. 92 named substations in Illinois operate at 345 kV or above. The highest voltage recorded in the state is 765 kV, and the state median is 161 kV.
Who owns the transmission lines at WEST FRANKFORT?
The 12 connected lines listed above are owned by AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY. Line voltages range from 69 kV to 230 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 169.4 miles.
How do candidate sites near WEST FRANKFORT score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 59 to 62 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Franklin County, Saline County, Johnson County, Williamson County. The Illinois average across 3,641 scored sites is 54.3. 795 of those Illinois sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is WEST FRANKFORT substation?
WEST FRANKFORT has a maximum voltage of 230 kV. That places it in the 230–344 kV band. The median named US substation in this dataset is 115 kV, so WEST FRANKFORT is above the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to WEST FRANKFORT substation?
13 transmission lines terminate at or pass through WEST FRANKFORT in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 230 kV, 138 kV, 69 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 169.4 miles.
Who owns WEST FRANKFORT substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at WEST FRANKFORT belong to AMEREN ILLINOIS COMPANY. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is WEST FRANKFORT substation located?
WEST FRANKFORT is in Illinois at 37.8895, -88.9333. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Franklin County, Saline County, Johnson County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near WEST FRANKFORT substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of WEST FRANKFORT. The highest-scoring is WEST FRANKFORT EAST at 62/100. Across Illinois, the average DC Readiness score is 54.3.
Other 230 kV substations in Illinois
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, “WEST FRANKFORT substation, Illinois”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/illinois/west-frankfort-a2c12357 (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 WEST FRANKFORT substation, Illinois 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.