PIONEER
SubstationNorth Dakota · MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO
At a glance
PIONEER is an electric transmission substation in North Dakota, on MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO's transmission network. It is classified as sub-transmission (115 kv) and connects 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #142790 | 115 kV | MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO | IN SERVICE | 0.1 mi |
| #210085 | 115 kV | MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO | — | 15.4 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of PIONEER, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JUDSON | Substation-Adjacent | ND | Williams County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.3 yrs | 64.8 |
| UNKNOWN204457 | Substation-Adjacent | ND | Williams County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 4.3 yrs | 63.1 |
| TAP208338 | Substation-Adjacent | MT | Williams County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 1.1 yrs | 61.1 |
| UNKNOWN134177 | Substation-Adjacent | ND | Williams County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 58.8 |
| UNKNOWN208336 | Substation-Adjacent | MT | Richland County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 1.1 yrs | 58.7 |
| UNKNOWN208348 | Substation-Adjacent | MT | Richland County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 1.1 yrs | 58.6 |
| UNKNOWN204456 | Substation-Adjacent | MT | Richland County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 1.1 yrs | 58.4 |
| UNKNOWN208316 | Substation-Adjacent | ND | Divide County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 58.3 |
How does PIONEER compare with other substations in North Dakota?
North Dakota has 1,364 substation records in HIFLD, of which 64 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 17 named substations in the state are in PIONEER's 115–229 kV band (27% of named stations). 40 sit in a higher band. 11 named substations in North Dakota operate at 345 kV or above. The highest voltage recorded in the state is 400 kV, and the state median is 230 kV.
Who owns the transmission lines at PIONEER?
The 2 connected lines listed above are owned by MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO. Line voltages range from 115 kV to 115 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 15.5 miles.
How do candidate sites near PIONEER score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 58 to 65 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Williams County, Richland County, Divide County. The North Dakota average across 1,020 scored sites is 55.7. 453 of those North Dakota sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is PIONEER substation?
PIONEER 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 PIONEER is at the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to PIONEER substation?
2 transmission lines terminate at or pass through PIONEER in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 115 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 15.5 miles.
Who owns PIONEER substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at PIONEER belong to MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is PIONEER substation located?
PIONEER is in North Dakota at 48.2306, -103.9552. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Williams County, Richland County, Divide County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near PIONEER substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of PIONEER. The highest-scoring is JUDSON at 65/100. Across North Dakota, the average DC Readiness score is 55.7.
Other 115 kV substations in North Dakota
- EAST BISMARCK· 7 lines
- RUGBY· 7 lines
- BEULAH· 5 lines
- FORMAN· 5 lines
- VALLEY CITY· 5 lines
- DEVILS LAKE· 4 lines
- MDU NEW ENGLAND· 4 lines
- STANLEY· 4 lines
- All named substations in North Dakota· 64 stations
- Datacenter candidate sites in North Dakota· 1,020 sites
- Brownfield and retired plant sites in North Dakota
- 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, “PIONEER substation, North Dakota”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/north-dakota/pioneer-f704327b (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 PIONEER substation, North Dakota 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.