BUTTE PIPELINE
SubstationMontana · MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO
At a glance
BUTTE PIPELINE is an electric transmission substation in Montana, on MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO's transmission network. It is classified as distribution (69–115 kv) and connects 1 transmission line. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #210168 | 69 kV | MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO | — | 0.0 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of BUTTE PIPELINE, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAKER | Substation-Adjacent | MT | Fallon County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 1.1 yrs | 64.4 |
| UNKNOWN208404 | Substation-Adjacent | MT | Fallon County | 69 kV | 50 MW | 1.1 yrs | 58.0 |
| UNKNOWN208383 | Substation-Adjacent | MT | Fallon County | 69 kV | 50 MW | 1.1 yrs | 58.0 |
| TAP206434 | Substation-Adjacent | MT | Fallon County | 69 kV | 50 MW | 1.1 yrs | 58.0 |
| BUTTE PIPELINE | Substation-Adjacent | MT | Fallon County | 69 kV | 50 MW | 1.1 yrs | 57.9 |
| TAP208379 | Substation-Adjacent | MT | Fallon County | 69 kV | 50 MW | 1.1 yrs | 57.9 |
| UNKNOWN208405 | Substation-Adjacent | MT | Fallon County | 69 kV | 50 MW | 1.1 yrs | 57.8 |
| TAP206433 | Substation-Adjacent | MT | Fallon County | 69 kV | 50 MW | 1.1 yrs | 57.8 |
How does BUTTE PIPELINE compare with other substations in Montana?
Montana has 1,211 substation records in HIFLD, of which 149 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 58 named substations in the state are in BUTTE PIPELINE's 69–114 kV band (39% of named stations). 84 sit in a higher band. 5 named substations in Montana 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 BUTTE PIPELINE?
The 1 connected line listed above is owned by MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO. Line voltages range from 69 kV to 69 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 0 miles.
How do candidate sites near BUTTE PIPELINE score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 58 to 64 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Fallon County. The Montana average across 2,542 scored sites is 54.3. 815 of those Montana sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is BUTTE PIPELINE substation?
BUTTE PIPELINE 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 BUTTE PIPELINE is below the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to BUTTE PIPELINE substation?
1 transmission line terminate at or pass through BUTTE PIPELINE in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 69 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 0 miles.
Who owns BUTTE PIPELINE substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at BUTTE PIPELINE belong to MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is BUTTE PIPELINE substation located?
BUTTE PIPELINE is in Montana at 46.3905, -104.4497. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Fallon County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near BUTTE PIPELINE substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of BUTTE PIPELINE. The highest-scoring is BAKER at 64/100. Across Montana, the average DC Readiness score is 54.3.
Other 69 kV substations in Montana
- KERR· 6 lines
- APPLEWAY· 3 lines
- FORT BENTON· 3 lines
- LEWISTOWN NO. 1· 3 lines
- NINEPIPE· 3 lines
- REED POINT· 3 lines
- THOMPSON FALLS· 3 lines
- WHITEFISH· 3 lines
- All named substations in Montana· 149 stations
- Datacenter candidate sites in Montana· 2,542 sites
- Brownfield and retired plant sites in Montana
- 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, “BUTTE PIPELINE substation, Montana”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/montana/butte-pipeline-08dc0759 (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 BUTTE PIPELINE substation, Montana 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.