ELK PLAIN
SubstationWashington · CITY OF TACOMA - (WA)
At a glance
ELK PLAIN is an electric transmission substation in Washington, on CITY OF TACOMA - (WA)'s transmission network. It is classified as unclassified and connects 0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #205550 | 115 kV | CITY OF TACOMA - (WA) | — | 0.0 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of ELK PLAIN, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COVINGTON | Substation-Adjacent | WA | King County | 500 kV | 1,000 MW | 3.5 yrs | 68.2 |
| OBRIEN | Substation-Adjacent | WA | King County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 3.5 yrs | 65.2 |
| BERRYDALE | Substation-Adjacent | WA | King County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 3.5 yrs | 63.8 |
| TAP203448 | Substation-Adjacent | WA | Pierce County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 3.5 yrs | 63.4 |
| PEARL | Substation-Adjacent | WA | Pierce County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 3.5 yrs | 63.3 |
| SOUTHWEST | Substation-Adjacent | WA | Pierce County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 3.5 yrs | 63.2 |
| UNKNOWN200891 | Substation-Adjacent | WA | Pierce County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 3.5 yrs | 63.1 |
| COWLITZ | Substation-Adjacent | WA | Pierce County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 3.5 yrs | 63.1 |
Who owns the transmission lines at ELK PLAIN?
The 1 connected line listed above is owned by CITY OF TACOMA - (WA). Line voltages range from 115 kV to 115 kV. Their combined recorded length is about 0 miles.
How do candidate sites near ELK PLAIN score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 63 to 68 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in King County, Pierce County. The Washington average across 6,019 scored sites is 51.7. 1,343 of those Washington sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
How many transmission lines connect to ELK PLAIN substation?
0 transmission lines terminate at or pass through ELK PLAIN in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 115 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 0 miles.
Who owns ELK PLAIN substation?
HIFLD does not publish substation owners directly. Most of the transmission lines that end at ELK PLAIN belong to CITY OF TACOMA - (WA). GridCensus derives this from the line data, so confirm ownership with the utility for anything contractual.
Where is ELK PLAIN substation located?
ELK PLAIN is in Washington at 47.0533, -122.3691. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in King County, Pierce County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near ELK PLAIN substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of ELK PLAIN. The highest-scoring is COVINGTON at 68/100. Across Washington, the average DC Readiness score is 51.7.
More in Washington
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, “ELK PLAIN substation, Washington”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/washington/elk-plain-30017868 (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 ELK PLAIN substation, Washington 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.