A working definition
There is no official definition of powered land. In practice, people use it for a site where the power question has been moved forward far enough that a buyer can plan around it. How far is the whole question. One seller may mean "a transmission line crosses the property". Another may mean "a signed agreement with the utility for a stated number of megawatts by a stated date".
What sits behind a real path to power
- Site control. A deed, a lease or a signed option.
- A request on file. A formal request with the serving utility for a stated load.
- Study results. What the grid needs in order to serve the load, and what it costs.
- An agreement. A signed interconnection agreement that sets out facilities and timing.
- A timeline. A date for energization that the utility stands behind.
- A plan for the gap. If grid power arrives late or in phases, how the site will be served in the meantime.
The further down this list a site is, the stronger the claim.
What "powered" does not mean
- A line or substation nearby. That is a place to ask. The line may be fully loaded.
- A quiet interconnection queue. An area can be quiet because the grid there is weak.
- A letter that does not commit the utility to megawatts or a date.
- A gas pipeline on the map. Proximity is not deliverable fuel, firm transport or a tap right.
Questions to ask about any powered land claim
- How many megawatts, and by when? Who said so, in what document?
- Has a request been filed? With which utility? What stage is it at?
- Have studies been completed? What upgrades and costs did they find?
- What security or fees have been paid, and do they transfer with the land?
- Is there a signed interconnection agreement?
- What form of site control exists, and does it meet the rule that applies?
In Texas, large loads at or above the SB 6 threshold must show site control and post security before the study. See Texas SB 6.
How screening fits in
Screening does not make land powered. It tells you which land is worth the effort of trying. Voltane screens Texas land for distance to transmission and substations, queue competition, planned transmission and site hazards, and shows the source and date of each fact. Its capacity signal is a proxy and never available MW.
If you are looking for candidates, see Find me a site. If you already hold a site and want its path to power reviewed, Analyze my site is available by request.
Questions people ask
Is powered land a legal term?
No. It is a market term. Its meaning depends on who uses it, so ask for the documents behind the claim.
Does land next to a substation count as powered land?
Not by itself. A substation nearby is a place to ask, not available capacity. Only the utility and the grid operator can confirm what a site can get.
Can Voltane certify that land is powered?
No. Voltane screens with public data and labels estimates as estimates. It does not certify capacity or timelines.
Related
- Find me a site
- Analyze my site (by request)
- Glossary: powered land
- Glossary: point of interconnection
- Glossary: time to power
- ERCOT grid and land data
More guides
- How to find a data center site in Texas
- The ERCOT large load interconnection process, explained
- Data center site selection checklist: power, land, water, fiber, risk
- How to price a powered land site
- Time to power: what drives it in ERCOT
- Gas-to-power and behind-the-meter generation for data centers: siting basics
- Solar and storage site selection in Texas: a first-pass screen
Need a site, or have one?
Tell us what you need and Voltane finds, reports on and prices candidate sites in ERCOT. Or bring a site you already have for a path-to-power report (by request for now).