BEARWALLOW
SubstationVirginia · APPALACHIAN POWER CO
At a glance
BEARWALLOW is an electric transmission substation in Virginia, on APPALACHIAN POWER CO's transmission network. It is classified as sub-transmission (138 kv) and connects 4 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
Connected transmission lines
Lines terminating at or passing through this substation, by HIFLD line ID, highest voltage first.
| Line ID | Voltage | Owner | Status | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #127591 | 138 kV | APPALACHIAN POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 4.3 mi |
| #114736 | 69 kV | APPALACHIAN POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 3.9 mi |
| #119800 | 69 kV | APPALACHIAN POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 2.3 mi |
| #164519 | — | APPALACHIAN POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 3.6 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of BEARWALLOW, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BROADFORD (765 KV) | Substation-Adjacent | VA | Smyth County | 765 kV | 1,000 MW | 5.1 yrs | 64.4 |
| EC Coal Russell County | Greenfield | VA | Russell County | — | — | 5.1 yrs | 60.5 |
| EC Coal Mingo County | Greenfield | WV | Mingo County | — | — | 3.0 yrs | 60.1 |
| EC Coal Russell County | Greenfield | VA | Russell County | — | — | 5.1 yrs | 59.7 |
| TAP155304 | Substation-Adjacent | WV | McDowell County | 138 kV | 100 MW | 3.0 yrs | 58.5 |
| Greenfield (JACKSONS FERRY - BROADFORD (76) | Greenfield | VA | Smyth County | 765 kV | 1,000 MW | 5.1 yrs | 58.4 |
| SOURWOOD | Substation-Adjacent | WV | McDowell County | 138 kV | 100 MW | 3.0 yrs | 58.2 |
| PAD FORK | Substation-Adjacent | WV | McDowell County | 138 kV | 100 MW | 3.0 yrs | 58.2 |
How does BEARWALLOW compare with other substations in Virginia?
Virginia has 1,382 substation records in HIFLD, of which 529 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 238 named substations in the state are in BEARWALLOW's 115–229 kV band (45% of named stations). 212 sit in a higher band. 39 named substations in Virginia operate at 345 kV or above. The highest voltage recorded in the state is 765 kV, and the state median is 138 kV.
Who owns the transmission lines at BEARWALLOW?
The 4 connected lines listed above are owned by APPALACHIAN POWER CO. Line voltages range from 69 kV to 138 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 14.1 miles.
How do candidate sites near BEARWALLOW score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 58 to 64 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Smyth County, Russell County, Mingo County, McDowell County. The Virginia average across 5,871 scored sites is 52.6. 733 of those Virginia sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is BEARWALLOW substation?
BEARWALLOW has a maximum voltage of 138 kV. That places it in the 115–229 kV band. The median named US substation in this dataset is 115 kV, so BEARWALLOW is above the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to BEARWALLOW substation?
4 transmission lines terminate at or pass through BEARWALLOW in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 138 kV, 69 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 14.1 miles.
Who owns BEARWALLOW substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at BEARWALLOW belong to APPALACHIAN POWER CO. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is BEARWALLOW substation located?
BEARWALLOW is in Virginia at 37.2395, -81.7278. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Smyth County, Russell County, Mingo County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near BEARWALLOW substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of BEARWALLOW. The highest-scoring is BROADFORD (765 KV) at 64/100. Across Virginia, the average DC Readiness score is 52.6.
Other 138 kV substations in Virginia
- CLINCH RIVER· 13 lines
- FIELDALE· 11 lines
- GLEN LYN· 11 lines
- DANVILLE· 10 lines
- REUSENS· 10 lines
- SALTVILLE· 10 lines
- HANCOCK· 8 lines
- NORTH BRISTOL· 8 lines
- All named substations in Virginia· 529 stations
- Datacenter candidate sites in Virginia· 5,871 sites
- Brownfield and retired plant sites in Virginia
- 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, “BEARWALLOW substation, Virginia”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/virginia/bearwallow-394f6ed4 (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 BEARWALLOW substation, Virginia 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.