DORCHESTER
SubstationVirginia · APPALACHIAN POWER CO
At a glance
DORCHESTER is an electric transmission substation in Virginia, on APPALACHIAN POWER CO's transmission network. It is classified as sub-transmission (138 kv) and connects 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #106906 | 161 kV | KENTUCKY UTILITIES CO | IN SERVICE | 20.4 mi |
| #164112 | 161 kV | — | IN SERVICE | 10.1 mi |
| #120140 | 138 kV | — | IN SERVICE | 20.7 mi |
| #100966 | 138 kV | — | IN SERVICE | 10.9 mi |
| #135894 | 138 kV | — | IN SERVICE | 8.7 mi |
| #174068 | 69 kV | — | IN SERVICE | 5.8 mi |
| #133473 | — | APPALACHIAN POWER CO | IN SERVICE | 10.2 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of DORCHESTER, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POCKET NORTH | Substation-Adjacent | VA | Lee County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 5.1 yrs | 69.1 |
| NAGEL | Substation-Adjacent | TN | Scott County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 4.7 yrs | 64.7 |
| EC Coal Lee County | Greenfield | VA | Lee County | — | — | 5.1 yrs | 62.8 |
| EC Coal Harlan County | Greenfield | KY | Harlan County | — | — | 3.9 yrs | 61.4 |
| EC Coal Scott County | Greenfield | VA | Scott County | — | — | 5.1 yrs | 61.0 |
| OZ Scott | Greenfield | VA | Scott | — | — | 5.1 yrs | 60.8 |
| EC Coal Lee County | Greenfield | VA | Lee County | — | — | 5.1 yrs | 60.3 |
| EC Coal Wise County | Greenfield | VA | Wise County | — | — | 5.1 yrs | 60.2 |
How does DORCHESTER 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 DORCHESTER'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 DORCHESTER?
The 7 connected lines listed above are owned by KENTUCKY UTILITIES CO, APPALACHIAN POWER CO. Line voltages range from 69 kV to 161 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 86.9 miles.
How do candidate sites near DORCHESTER score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 60 to 69 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Lee County, Scott County, Harlan County, Scott. 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 DORCHESTER substation?
DORCHESTER 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 DORCHESTER is above the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to DORCHESTER substation?
7 transmission lines terminate at or pass through DORCHESTER in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 161 kV, 138 kV, 69 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 86.9 miles.
Who owns DORCHESTER substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at DORCHESTER belong to APPALACHIAN POWER CO, and others to KENTUCKY UTILITIES CO. GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is DORCHESTER substation located?
DORCHESTER is in Virginia at 36.9330, -82.6467. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Lee County, Scott County, Harlan County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near DORCHESTER substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of DORCHESTER. The highest-scoring is POCKET NORTH at 69/100. Across Virginia, the average DC Readiness score is 52.6.
Other 161 kV substations in Virginia
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, “DORCHESTER substation, Virginia”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/virginia/dorchester-93c297f5 (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 DORCHESTER 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.