COTTONWOOD
SubstationNew Mexico · SOUTHWEST PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY
At a glance
COTTONWOOD is an electric transmission substation in New Mexico, on SOUTHWEST PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #301584 | 115 kV | SOUTHWEST PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY | IN SERVICE | 1.5 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of COTTONWOOD, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDDY AC-DC-AC TIE | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Eddy County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.3 yrs | 57.6 |
| OZ Chaves | Greenfield | NM | Chaves | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 57.5 |
| UNKNOWN305514 | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Eddy County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 4.3 yrs | 56.0 |
| TAP308122 | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Chaves County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 52.5 |
| TAP307882 | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Chaves County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 52.2 |
| UNKNOWN303318 | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Eddy County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 52.0 |
| ARTESIA | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Eddy County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 52.0 |
| ATOKA | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Eddy County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 52.0 |
How does COTTONWOOD compare with other substations in New Mexico?
New Mexico has 619 substation records in HIFLD, of which 387 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 88 named substations in the state are in COTTONWOOD's 69–114 kV band (23% of named stations). 282 sit in a higher band. 24 named substations in New Mexico 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 COTTONWOOD?
The 1 connected line listed above is owned by SOUTHWEST PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY. Line voltages range from 115 kV to 115 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 1.5 miles.
How do candidate sites near COTTONWOOD score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 52 to 58 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Eddy County, Chaves, Chaves County. The New Mexico average across 1,535 scored sites is 47.8. 445 of those New Mexico sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is COTTONWOOD substation?
COTTONWOOD has a maximum voltage of 69 kV and a minimum of 115 kV. That places it in the 69–114 kV band. The median named US substation in this dataset is 115 kV, so COTTONWOOD is below the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to COTTONWOOD substation?
1 transmission line terminate at or pass through COTTONWOOD in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 115 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 1.5 miles.
Who owns COTTONWOOD substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at COTTONWOOD belong to SOUTHWEST PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is COTTONWOOD substation located?
COTTONWOOD is in New Mexico at 32.9297, -104.4120. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Eddy County, Chaves, Chaves County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near COTTONWOOD substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of COTTONWOOD. The highest-scoring is EDDY AC-DC-AC TIE at 58/100. Across New Mexico, the average DC Readiness score is 47.8.
Other 69 kV substations in New Mexico
- COTTONWOOD TAP· 4 lines
- #6· 3 lines
- ABIQUIU· 3 lines
- AZTEC TAP· 3 lines
- DEXTER TAP· 3 lines
- GLENCOE· 3 lines
- MAXWELL· 3 lines
- TURLEY SWITCHING STATION· 3 lines
- All named substations in New Mexico· 387 stations
- Datacenter candidate sites in New Mexico· 1,535 sites
- Brownfield and retired plant sites in New Mexico
- 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, “COTTONWOOD substation, New Mexico”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/new-mexico/cottonwood-ae30f6fe (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 COTTONWOOD substation, New Mexico 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.