BALSAM
SubstationWisconsin
At a glance
BALSAM is an electric transmission substation in Wisconsin. It is classified as sub-transmission (138 kv) and connects 3 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
No owner is recorded for the lines that connect here.
Connected transmission lines
Lines terminating at or passing through this substation, by HIFLD line ID, highest voltage first.
| Line ID | Voltage | Owner | Status | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #174953 | 138 kV | — | IN SERVICE | 9.7 mi |
| #174954 | 138 kV | — | IN SERVICE | 12.8 mi |
| #174952 | 69 kV | — | IN SERVICE | 4.3 mi |
Nearby datacenter candidate sites
Scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of BALSAM, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLEASANT PRAIRIE | Substation-Adjacent | WI | Kenosha County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.3 yrs | 71.1 |
| UNKNOWN121936 | Substation-Adjacent | IL | Kenosha County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.8 yrs | 70.3 |
| BAIN | Substation-Adjacent | WI | Kenosha County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.3 yrs | 67.0 |
| DEADEND167359 | Substation-Adjacent | WI | Milwaukee County | 230 kV | 300 MW | 4.3 yrs | 66.5 |
| TAP137894 | Substation-Adjacent | IL | Lake County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.8 yrs | 65.8 |
| LIBERTYVILLE | Substation-Adjacent | IL | Lake County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.8 yrs | 64.7 |
| EC Near South Oak Creek | Greenfield | WI | Milwaukee | — | — | 4.3 yrs | 64.2 |
| SILVER LAKE | Substation-Adjacent | IL | McHenry County | 345 kV | 600 MW | 4.8 yrs | 64.1 |
How does BALSAM compare with other substations in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has 1,930 substation records in HIFLD, of which 768 carry a station name; the rest are unnamed tap points, risers and line ends. 334 named substations in the state are in BALSAM's 115–229 kV band (43% of named stations). 36 sit in a higher band. 34 named substations in Wisconsin operate at 345 kV or above. The highest voltage recorded in the state is 345 kV, and the state median is 115 kV.
How do candidate sites near BALSAM score?
The 8 highest-scoring candidate sites within about 25 miles range from 64 to 71 on the 0–100 DC Readiness scale. They fall in Kenosha County, Milwaukee County, Lake County, Milwaukee. The Wisconsin average across 3,340 scored sites is 55.4. 1,248 of those Wisconsin sites are classed as substation sites (candidate locations generated at an existing substation).
Frequently asked questions
What voltage is BALSAM substation?
BALSAM has a maximum voltage of 138 kV and a minimum of 69 kV. That places it in the 115–229 kV band. The median named US substation in this dataset is 115 kV, so BALSAM is above the national midpoint.
How many transmission lines connect to BALSAM substation?
3 transmission lines terminate at or pass through BALSAM in the HIFLD line data. The connected lines listed here run at 138 kV, 69 kV. Together the listed lines cover about 26.8 miles.
Where is BALSAM substation located?
BALSAM is in Wisconsin at 42.5861, -88.2789. The datacenter candidate sites closest to it are in Kenosha County, Milwaukee County, Lake County.
Are there datacenter candidate sites near BALSAM substation?
GridCensus lists at least 8 scored candidate sites within roughly 25 miles of BALSAM. The highest-scoring is PLEASANT PRAIRIE at 71/100. Across Wisconsin, the average DC Readiness score is 55.4.
Other 138 kV substations in Wisconsin
- PULLIAM SW YD· 12 lines
- PORTAGE· 9 lines
- ROCK RIVER· 9 lines
- 96TH ST· 8 lines
- ASPEN· 8 lines
- HIGHWAY V· 8 lines
- NORTH FOND DU LAC· 8 lines
- BOC GASSES· 7 lines
- All named substations in Wisconsin· 768 stations
- Datacenter candidate sites in Wisconsin· 3,340 sites
- Brownfield and retired plant sites in Wisconsin
- 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, “BALSAM substation, Wisconsin”, https://gridcensus.com/substations/wisconsin/balsam-bf0191cf (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 BALSAM substation, Wisconsin 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.