BERTRAM
SubstationIowa · MIDAMERICAN ENERGY CO
At a glance
BERTRAM is an electric transmission substation in Iowa, on MIDAMERICAN ENERGY CO's transmission network. It is classified as sub-transmission (138 kv) and connects 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #116692 | 161 kV | MIDAMERICAN ENERGY CO | IN SERVICE | 20.3 mi |
| #125239 | 161 kV | MIDAMERICAN ENERGY CO | IN SERVICE | 6.1 mi |
| #137291 | 161 kV | MIDAMERICAN ENERGY CO | IN SERVICE | 9.6 mi |
| #119075 | 115 kV | MIDAMERICAN ENERGY CO | IN SERVICE | 5.3 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of BERTRAM, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIFFIN | Substation-Adjacent | IA | Johnson County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.3 yrs | 68.2 |
| HILLS | Substation-Adjacent | IA | Johnson County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.3 yrs | 67.3 |
| Alliant SBD 9302 Aegon NP | Brownfield | IA | Linn | — | 1 MW | 4.3 yrs | 67.2 |
| ARNOLD | Substation-Adjacent | IA | Linn County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.3 yrs | 67.1 |
| EC Near University of Iowa Main Power Plant | Greenfield | IA | Johnson | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 65.9 |
| UNKNOWN159106 | Substation-Adjacent | IA | Johnson County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 63.7 |
| RISER137658 | Substation-Adjacent | IA | Johnson County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 63.7 |
| UNKNOWN137654 | Substation-Adjacent | IA | Johnson County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 63.7 |
How does BERTRAM compare with other substations in Iowa?
Iowa has 1,368 substation records in HIFLD, of which 104 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 55 named substations in the state are in BERTRAM's 115–229 kV band (53% of named stations). 30 sit in a higher band. 30 named substations in Iowa operate at 345 kV or above. The highest voltage recorded in the state is 345 kV, and the state median is 161 kV.
Who owns the transmission lines at BERTRAM?
The 4 connected lines listed above are owned by MIDAMERICAN ENERGY CO. Line voltages range from 115 kV to 161 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 41.3 miles.
How do candidate sites near BERTRAM score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 64 to 68 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Johnson County, Linn, Linn County, Johnson. The Iowa average across 2,572 scored sites is 56.4. 761 of those Iowa sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is BERTRAM substation?
BERTRAM has a maximum voltage of 161 kV and a minimum of 115 kV. That places it in the 115–229 kV band. The median named US substation in this dataset is 115 kV, so BERTRAM is above the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to BERTRAM substation?
4 transmission lines terminate at or pass through BERTRAM in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 161 kV, 115 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 41.3 miles.
Who owns BERTRAM substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at BERTRAM belong to MIDAMERICAN ENERGY CO. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is BERTRAM substation located?
BERTRAM is in Iowa at 41.9582, -91.5571. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Johnson County, Linn, Linn County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near BERTRAM substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of BERTRAM. The highest-scoring is TIFFIN at 68/100. Across Iowa, the average DC Readiness score is 56.4.
Other 161 kV substations in Iowa
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, “BERTRAM substation, Iowa”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/iowa/bertram-b848d09d (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 BERTRAM substation, Iowa 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.