BETHESDA
SubstationMaryland · POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO
At a glance
BETHESDA is an electric transmission substation in Maryland, on POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO's transmission network. It is classified as sub-transmission (138 kv) and connects 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #159773 | 138 kV | POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 3.8 mi |
| #159774 | 138 kV | POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 3.8 mi |
| #159775 | 138 kV | POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 6.3 mi |
| #159794 | 138 kV | POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 3.4 mi |
| #159795 | 138 kV | POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 3.4 mi |
| #159796 | 138 kV | POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 3.4 mi |
| #159918 | 138 kV | POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 2.3 mi |
| #161202 | 138 kV | POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 2.3 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of BETHESDA, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLIFTON | Substation-Adjacent | VA | Manassas Park city | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 5.1 yrs | 69.6 |
| OX | Substation-Adjacent | VA | Fairfax County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 5.1 yrs | 69.0 |
| BURCHES HILL | Substation-Adjacent | MD | Prince George's County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 5.3 yrs | 66.9 |
| BRIGHTON | Substation-Adjacent | MD | Howard County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 5.3 yrs | 66.8 |
| DULLES | Substation-Adjacent | VA | Fairfax city | 230 kV | 300 MW | 5.1 yrs | 66.8 |
| BATTERY HEIGHTS DP | Substation-Adjacent | VA | Manassas city | 230 kV | 300 MW | 5.1 yrs | 66.8 |
| CLOVER HILL | Substation-Adjacent | VA | Prince William County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 5.1 yrs | 66.8 |
| UNKNOWN162182 | Substation-Adjacent | MD | Prince George's County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 5.3 yrs | 66.7 |
How does BETHESDA compare with other substations in Maryland?
Maryland has 716 substation records in HIFLD, of which 186 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 46 named substations in the state are in BETHESDA's 115–229 kV band (25% of named stations). 53 sit in a higher band. 9 named substations in Maryland operate at 345 kV or above. The highest voltage recorded in the state is 500 kV, and the state median is 138 kV.
Who owns the transmission lines at BETHESDA?
The 8 connected lines listed above are owned by POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO. Line voltages range from 138 kV to 138 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 28.7 miles.
How do candidate sites near BETHESDA score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 67 to 70 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Manassas Park city, Fairfax County, Prince George's County, Howard County. The Maryland average across 1,031 scored sites is 52.9. 314 of those Maryland sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is BETHESDA substation?
BETHESDA has a maximum voltage of 138 kV. That places it in the 115–229 kV band. The median named US substation in this dataset is 115 kV, so BETHESDA is above the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to BETHESDA substation?
8 transmission lines terminate at or pass through BETHESDA in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 138 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 28.7 miles.
Who owns BETHESDA substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at BETHESDA belong to POTOMAC ELECTRIC POWER CO. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is BETHESDA substation located?
BETHESDA is in Maryland at 38.9887, -77.1003. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Manassas Park city, Fairfax County, Prince George's County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near BETHESDA substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of BETHESDA. The highest-scoring is CLIFTON at 70/100. Across Maryland, the average DC Readiness score is 52.9.
Other 138 kV substations in Maryland
- WYE MILLS· 6 lines
- REID· 5 lines
- CATOCTIN· 4 lines
- FROSTBURG #1· 3 lines
- ANTIETAM· 2 lines
- EAST HAGERSTOWN· 2 lines
- HILLSBORO· 2 lines
- WALKERSVILLE· 2 lines
- All named substations in Maryland· 186 stations
- Datacenter candidate sites in Maryland· 1,031 sites
- Brownfield and retired plant sites in Maryland
- 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, “BETHESDA substation, Maryland”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/maryland/bethesda-f8873405 (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 BETHESDA substation, Maryland 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.