TAP161863
SubstationSouth Dakota · NORTHWESTERN ENERGY
At a glance
TAP161863 is an electric transmission substation in South Dakota, on NORTHWESTERN ENERGY's transmission network. It is classified as sub-transmission (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #162782 | 69 kV | MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO | IN SERVICE | 0.5 mi |
| #162783 | 69 kV | NORTHWESTERN ENERGY | IN SERVICE | 1.3 mi |
| #162784 | 69 kV | NORTHWESTERN ENERGY | IN SERVICE | 1.1 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of TAP161863, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GROTON | Substation-Adjacent | SD | Brown County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.3 yrs | 64.8 |
| OZ Brown | Greenfield | SD | Brown | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 62.7 |
| UNKNOWN131110 | Substation-Adjacent | SD | Brown County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 58.9 |
| TAP159578 | Substation-Adjacent | SD | Brown County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 58.9 |
| TAP161863 | Substation-Adjacent | SD | Brown County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 58.9 |
| UNKNOWN159585 | Substation-Adjacent | SD | Brown County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 58.9 |
| UNKNOWN131130 | Substation-Adjacent | SD | Brown County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 58.9 |
| TAP159587 | Substation-Adjacent | SD | Brown County | 115 kV | 100 MW | 4.3 yrs | 58.9 |
Who owns the transmission lines at TAP161863?
The 3 connected lines listed above are owned by MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO, NORTHWESTERN ENERGY. Line voltages range from 69 kV to 69 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 3 miles.
How do candidate sites near TAP161863 score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 59 to 65 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Brown County, Brown. The South Dakota average across 1,151 scored sites is 54.7. 477 of those South Dakota sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is TAP161863 substation?
TAP161863 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 TAP161863 is at the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to TAP161863 substation?
3 transmission lines terminate at or pass through TAP161863 in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 69 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 3 miles.
Who owns TAP161863 substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at TAP161863 belong to NORTHWESTERN ENERGY, and others to MONTANA-DAKOTA UTILITIES CO. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is TAP161863 substation located?
TAP161863 is in South Dakota at 45.4450, -98.4949. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Brown County, Brown.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near TAP161863 substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of TAP161863. The highest-scoring is GROTON at 65/100. Across South Dakota, the average DC Readiness score is 54.7.
More in South Dakota
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, “TAP161863 substation, South Dakota”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/south-dakota/tap161863-f0459501 (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 TAP161863 substation, South 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.