FREEBORN
SubstationMinnesota · NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA
At a glance
FREEBORN is an electric transmission substation in Minnesota, on NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA'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
Ownership
Connected transmission lines
Lines terminating at or passing through this substation, by HIFLD line ID, highest voltage first.
| Line ID | Voltage | Owner | Status | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #130824 | 161 kV | NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA | IN SERVICE | 4.1 mi |
| #149221 | 161 kV | NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA | IN SERVICE | 11.4 mi |
| #161990 | 161 kV | — | IN SERVICE | 38.3 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of FREEBORN, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OZ Waseca | Greenfield | MN | Waseca | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 64.5 |
| UNKNOWN129423 | Substation-Adjacent | MN | Steele County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 64.4 |
| EC Near Owatonna | Greenfield | MN | Steele | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 64.1 |
| EC Near Lake Mills | Greenfield | IA | Winnebago | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 63.7 |
| UNKNOWN131061 | Substation-Adjacent | MN | Freeborn County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 63.3 |
| UNKNOWN129404 | Substation-Adjacent | MN | Freeborn County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 63.2 |
| FREEBORN | Substation-Adjacent | MN | Freeborn County | 161 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 63.1 |
| EC Near Wells IC | Greenfield | MN | Faribault | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 63.0 |
How does FREEBORN compare with other substations in Minnesota?
Minnesota has 2,357 substation records in HIFLD, of which 208 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 104 named substations in the state are in FREEBORN's 115–229 kV band (50% of named stations). 50 sit in a higher band. 30 named substations in Minnesota operate at 345 kV or above. The highest voltage recorded in the state is 500 kV, and the state median is 115 kV.
Who owns the transmission lines at FREEBORN?
The 3 connected lines listed above are owned by NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA. Line voltages range from 161 kV to 161 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 53.8 miles.
How do candidate sites near FREEBORN score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 63 to 65 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Waseca, Steele County, Steele, Winnebago. The Minnesota average across 3,216 scored sites is 55.7. 1,270 of those Minnesota sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is FREEBORN substation?
FREEBORN 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 FREEBORN is above the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to FREEBORN substation?
3 transmission lines terminate at or pass through FREEBORN in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 161 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 53.8 miles.
Who owns FREEBORN substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at FREEBORN belong to NORTHERN STATES POWER CO - MINNESOTA. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is FREEBORN substation located?
FREEBORN is in Minnesota at 43.7171, -93.4097. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Waseca, Steele County, Steele.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near FREEBORN substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of FREEBORN. The highest-scoring is OZ Waseca at 65/100. Across Minnesota, the average DC Readiness score is 55.7.
Other 161 kV substations in Minnesota
- CHESTER· 8 lines
- HUNTLEY· 8 lines
- CASCADE CREEK· 5 lines
- SPRING CREEK· 5 lines
- MAPLE LEAF· 4 lines
- NORTHERN HILLS· 3 lines
- BAMBER VALLEY· 2 lines
- CROSSTOWN CASCADE· 2 lines
- All named substations in Minnesota· 208 stations
- Datacenter candidate sites in Minnesota· 3,216 sites
- Brownfield and retired plant sites in Minnesota
- 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, “FREEBORN substation, Minnesota”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/minnesota/freeborn-c11794f8 (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 FREEBORN substation, Minnesota 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.