WATTS BAR
SubstationTennessee · TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
At a glance
WATTS BAR is an electric transmission substation in Tennessee, on TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY's transmission network. It is classified as sub-transmission (138 kv) and connects 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #103132 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 10.7 mi |
| #104188 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | — | 0.1 mi |
| #105007 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 2.0 mi |
| #114343 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 11.3 mi |
| #114718 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 1.6 mi |
| #121338 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 0.7 mi |
| #130139 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 7.3 mi |
| #130618 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 4.0 mi |
| #141394 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 22.6 mi |
| #400533 | 161 kV | TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY | IN SERVICE | 16.2 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of WATTS BAR, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN115420 | Substation-Adjacent | TN | Hamilton County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 3.9 yrs | 69.9 |
| UNKNOWN115540 | Substation-Adjacent | TN | Roane County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 3.9 yrs | 69.5 |
| UNKNOWN170313 | Substation-Adjacent | TN | Bradley County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 3.9 yrs | 67.7 |
| WATTS BAR POWER STATION | Substation-Adjacent | TN | Meigs County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 3.9 yrs | 66.9 |
| Watts Bar Fossil | Brownfield | TN | Meigs County | — | 240 MW | 3.9 yrs | 63.5 |
| Greenfield (UNKNOWN115540 - WATTS BAR POWE) | Greenfield | TN | Roane County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 3.9 yrs | 63.1 |
| Greenfield (SEQUOYAH - WATTS BAR POWER STA) | Greenfield | TN | Hamilton County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 3.9 yrs | 63.1 |
| Greenfield (BULL RUN - WATTS BAR POWER STA) | Greenfield | TN | Roane County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 3.9 yrs | 63.0 |
How does WATTS BAR compare with other substations in Tennessee?
Tennessee has 1,967 substation records in HIFLD, of which 517 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 376 named substations in the state are in WATTS BAR's 115–229 kV band (73% of named stations). 26 sit in a higher band. 25 named substations in Tennessee operate at 345 kV or above. The highest voltage recorded in the state is 500 kV, and the state median is 161 kV.
Who owns the transmission lines at WATTS BAR?
The 10 connected lines listed above are owned by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY. Line voltages range from 161 kV to 161 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 76.5 miles.
How do candidate sites near WATTS BAR 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 Hamilton County, Roane County, Bradley County, Meigs County. The Tennessee average across 2,190 scored sites is 57. 886 of those Tennessee sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is WATTS BAR substation?
WATTS BAR has a maximum voltage of 161 kV. That places it in the 115–229 kV band. The median named US substation in this dataset is 115 kV, so WATTS BAR is above the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to WATTS BAR substation?
10 transmission lines terminate at or pass through WATTS BAR in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 161 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 76.5 miles.
Who owns WATTS BAR substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at WATTS BAR belong to TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is WATTS BAR substation located?
WATTS BAR is in Tennessee at 35.6195, -84.7857. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Hamilton County, Roane County, Bradley County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near WATTS BAR substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of WATTS BAR. The highest-scoring is UNKNOWN115420 at 70/100. Across Tennessee, the average DC Readiness score is 57.
Other 161 kV substations in Tennessee
- JOHN SEVIER· 18 lines
- NORTHEAST GATE· 16 lines
- SOUTHEAST GATE· 16 lines
- ALLEN· 15 lines
- NORTH NASHVILLE· 13 lines
- WEST NASHVILLE· 13 lines
- ALCOA SW STATION· 12 lines
- FORT LOUDON DAM· 12 lines
- All named substations in Tennessee· 517 stations
- Datacenter candidate sites in Tennessee· 2,190 sites
- Brownfield and retired plant sites in Tennessee
- 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, “WATTS BAR substation, Tennessee”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/tennessee/watts-bar-1ea7ac50 (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 WATTS BAR substation, Tennessee 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.