HIDALGO SMELTER
SubstationNew Mexico · DEMING ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVE
At a glance
HIDALGO SMELTER is an electric transmission substation in New Mexico, on DEMING ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVE's transmission network. It is classified as sub-transmission (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #311780 | 115 kV | DEMING ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVE | IN SERVICE | 19.3 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of HIDALGO SMELTER, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EC FFE Hidalgo County | Greenfield | NM | Hidalgo County | — | — | 3.5 yrs | 51.7 |
| HIDALGO SMELTER | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Hidalgo County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 3.5 yrs | 49.9 |
| PLAYAS | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Hidalgo County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 3.5 yrs | 49.5 |
| AMINAS TAP | Substation-Adjacent | NM | Hidalgo County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 3.5 yrs | 48.6 |
| Tulip Landfill | Industrial | NM | Luna County | — | — | 3.5 yrs | 42.2 |
How does HIDALGO SMELTER 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 HIDALGO SMELTER'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 HIDALGO SMELTER?
The 1 connected line listed above is owned by DEMING ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVE. Line voltages range from 115 kV to 115 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 19.3 miles.
How do candidate sites near HIDALGO SMELTER score?
The 5 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 42 to 52 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Hidalgo County, Luna 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 HIDALGO SMELTER substation?
HIDALGO SMELTER 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 HIDALGO SMELTER is at the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to HIDALGO SMELTER substation?
1 transmission line terminate at or pass through HIDALGO SMELTER in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 115 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 19.3 miles.
Who owns HIDALGO SMELTER substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at HIDALGO SMELTER belong to DEMING ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVE. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is HIDALGO SMELTER substation located?
HIDALGO SMELTER is in New Mexico at 31.7634, -108.5385. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Hidalgo County, Luna County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near HIDALGO SMELTER substation?
GridCensus lists 5 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of HIDALGO SMELTER. The highest-scoring is EC FFE Hidalgo County at 52/100. 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, “HIDALGO SMELTER substation, New Mexico”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/new-mexico/hidalgo-smelter-94066160 (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 HIDALGO SMELTER 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.