ELEPHANT BUTTE
SubstationNew Mexico · SIERRA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
At a glance
ELEPHANT BUTTE is an electric transmission substation in New Mexico, on SIERRA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE's transmission network. It is classified as sub-transmission (115 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #301693 | 115 kV | — | IN SERVICE | 59.9 mi |
| #304964 | 115 kV | SIERRA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE | IN SERVICE | 2.3 mi |
| #307168 | 115 kV | — | IN SERVICE | 72.0 mi |
| #310091 | 115 kV | SIERRA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE | IN SERVICE | 0.0 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of ELEPHANT BUTTE, 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 Sierra | Greenfield | NM | Sierra | — | — | 3.5 yrs | 53.9 |
| CABALLO | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Sierra County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 3.5 yrs | 51.3 |
| EC FFE Sierra County | Greenfield | NM | Sierra County | — | — | 3.5 yrs | 50.1 |
| ELEPHANT BUTTE | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Sierra County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 3.5 yrs | 49.8 |
| CUCHILLO TAP | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Sierra County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 3.5 yrs | 49.6 |
| OZ Sierra | Greenfield | NM | Sierra | — | — | 3.5 yrs | 49.2 |
| EC Coal Sierra County | Greenfield | NM | Sierra County | — | — | 3.5 yrs | 48.9 |
| RIO GRANDE | Federal Excess | NM | Sierra County | — | — | 3.5 yrs | 45.8 |
How does ELEPHANT BUTTE 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. 248 named substations in the state are in ELEPHANT BUTTE's 115–229 kV band (64% of named stations). 34 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 ELEPHANT BUTTE?
The 4 connected lines listed above are owned by SIERRA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE. Line voltages range from 115 kV to 115 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 134.2 miles.
How do candidate sites near ELEPHANT BUTTE score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 46 to 54 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Sierra, Sierra 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 ELEPHANT BUTTE substation?
ELEPHANT BUTTE has a maximum voltage of 115 kV. That places it in the 115–229 kV band. The median named US substation in this dataset is 115 kV, so ELEPHANT BUTTE is at the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to ELEPHANT BUTTE substation?
4 transmission lines terminate at or pass through ELEPHANT BUTTE in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 115 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 134.2 miles.
Who owns ELEPHANT BUTTE substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at ELEPHANT BUTTE belong to SIERRA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is ELEPHANT BUTTE substation located?
ELEPHANT BUTTE is in New Mexico at 33.1533, -107.1921. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Sierra, Sierra County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near ELEPHANT BUTTE substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of ELEPHANT BUTTE. The highest-scoring is OZ Sierra at 54/100. Across New Mexico, the average DC Readiness score is 47.8.
Other 115 kV substations in New Mexico
- RIO GRANDE· 11 lines
- CURRY COUNTY· 9 lines
- REEVES· 9 lines
- SPRINGER· 8 lines
- ZIA· 8 lines
- HERNANDEZ· 7 lines
- ALGODONES· 6 lines
- ANTHONY· 5 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, “ELEPHANT BUTTE substation, New Mexico”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/new-mexico/elephant-butte-b77797f2 (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 ELEPHANT BUTTE 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.