DISMAL RIVER
SubstationVirginia · APPALACHIAN POWER CO
At a glance
DISMAL RIVER is an electric transmission substation in Virginia, on APPALACHIAN POWER CO's transmission network. It is classified as distribution (69–115 kv) and connects 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #164278 | 69 kV | APPALACHIAN POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 5.5 mi |
| #164279 | 69 kV | APPALACHIAN POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 0.1 mi |
| #164280 | 69 kV | APPALACHIAN POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 2.9 mi |
| #164281 | 69 kV | APPALACHIAN POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 5.3 mi |
| #164290 | 69 kV | APPALACHIAN POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 6.3 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of DISMAL RIVER, 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 |
| CLINCH RIVER | Substation-Adjacent | VA | Russell County | 138 kV | 100 MW | 5.1 yrs | 59.8 |
| EC Coal Russell County | Greenfield | VA | Russell County | — | — | 5.1 yrs | 59.7 |
| OZ Buchanan | Greenfield | VA | Buchanan | — | — | 5.1 yrs | 59.2 |
| EC Near Clinch River | Greenfield | VA | Russell | — | — | 5.1 yrs | 58.8 |
| SOURWOOD | Substation-Adjacent | WV | McDowell County | 138 kV | 100 MW | 3.0 yrs | 58.2 |
How does DISMAL RIVER 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. 21 named substations in the state are in DISMAL RIVER's 69–114 kV band (4% of named stations). 450 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 DISMAL RIVER?
The 5 connected lines listed above are owned by APPALACHIAN POWER CO. Line voltages range from 69 kV to 69 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 20.1 miles.
How do candidate sites near DISMAL RIVER 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, Buchanan. 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 DISMAL RIVER substation?
DISMAL RIVER 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 DISMAL RIVER is below the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to DISMAL RIVER substation?
5 transmission lines terminate at or pass through DISMAL RIVER in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 69 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 20.1 miles.
Who owns DISMAL RIVER substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at DISMAL RIVER belong to APPALACHIAN POWER CO. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is DISMAL RIVER substation located?
DISMAL RIVER is in Virginia at 37.2406, -82.0338. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Smyth County, Russell County, Mingo County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near DISMAL RIVER substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of DISMAL RIVER. The highest-scoring is BROADFORD (765 KV) at 64/100. Across Virginia, the average DC Readiness score is 52.6.
Other 69 kV substations in Virginia
- FRIES· 4 lines
- GRUNDY· 3 lines
- HAYSI· 3 lines
- JEWELL BRANCH· 3 lines
- JEWELL RIDGE· 3 lines
- COAL CREEK· 2 lines
- KNOTTY POPLAR· 2 lines
- KNOX COAL CREEK· 2 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, “DISMAL RIVER substation, Virginia”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/virginia/dismal-river-2ebb9908 (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 DISMAL RIVER 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.