WATSON
SubstationNew York · LONG ISLAND POWER AUTHORITY
At a glance
WATSON is an electric transmission substation in New York, on LONG ISLAND POWER AUTHORITY's transmission network. It is classified as distribution (69–115 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #124766 | 69 kV | LONG ISLAND POWER AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 2.6 mi |
| #127361 | 69 kV | LONG ISLAND POWER AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 3.9 mi |
| #141114 | — | LONG ISLAND POWER AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 2.9 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of WATSON, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUFFY AVENUE CONVERTER STATION | Substation-Adjacent | NY | Nassau County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 4.3 yrs | 70.2 |
| EAST GARDEN CITY | Substation-Adjacent | NY | Nassau County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.3 yrs | 67.6 |
| NEWBRIDGE ROAD | Substation-Adjacent | NY | Nassau County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.3 yrs | 67.3 |
| WATERSIDE | Substation-Adjacent | CT | Westchester County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 63.9 |
| TAP141012 | Substation-Adjacent | NY | Nassau County | 138 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 63.3 |
| SOUTH END | Substation-Adjacent | CT | Westchester County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 63.3 |
| TAP136414 | Substation-Adjacent | CT | Western Connecticut Planning Region | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 63.3 |
| NORWALK HARBOR | Substation-Adjacent | CT | Greater Bridgeport Planning Region | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 63.3 |
How does WATSON compare with other substations in New York?
New York has 2,777 substation records in HIFLD, of which 570 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 80 named substations in the state are in WATSON's 69–114 kV band (14% of named stations). 343 sit in a higher band. 56 named substations in New York operate at 345 kV or above. The highest voltage recorded in the state is 765 kV, and the state median is 115 kV.
Who owns the transmission lines at WATSON?
The 3 connected lines listed above are owned by LONG ISLAND POWER AUTHORITY. Line voltages range from 69 kV to 69 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 9.4 miles.
How do candidate sites near WATSON score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 63 to 70 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Nassau County, Westchester County, Western Connecticut Planning Region, Greater Bridgeport Planning Region. The New York average across 2,980 scored sites is 54. 844 of those New York sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is WATSON substation?
WATSON 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 WATSON is below the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to WATSON substation?
3 transmission lines terminate at or pass through WATSON in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 69 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 9.4 miles.
Who owns WATSON substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at WATSON belong to LONG ISLAND POWER AUTHORITY. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is WATSON substation located?
WATSON is in New York at 40.7346, -73.2140. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Nassau County, Westchester County, Western Connecticut Planning Region.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near WATSON substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of WATSON. The highest-scoring is DUFFY AVENUE CONVERTER STATION at 70/100. Across New York, the average DC Readiness score is 54.
Other 69 kV substations in New York
- GLENWOOD LANDING· 9 lines
- BRENTWOOD· 8 lines
- FAR ROCKAWAY· 7 lines
- SYOSSET· 6 lines
- HOLTSVILLE MGU· 5 lines
- WEST YAPHANK· 5 lines
- BRIDGEHAMPTON· 4 lines
- BRIGHTWATERS· 4 lines
- All named substations in New York· 570 stations
- Datacenter candidate sites in New York· 2,980 sites
- Brownfield and retired plant sites in New York
- 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, “WATSON substation, New York”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/new-york/watson-d317cc46 (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 WATSON substation, New York 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.