Kansas market ranks third nationally on live power availability, but multi-year interconnection timelines still gate first-energization
## Highlights
Rural SPP scored 67.2 on the DC Hub excess-power index this week, placing third among all tracked US markets and fifth globally. The Kansas-anchored SPP footprint holds a constraint index of just 22.5, marking it as one of the least grid-congested regions available to hyperscale developers.
Only Cheyenne, WY (69.5 excess, WECC) ranks higher among domestic markets. Rural SPP's score reflects substantial generation reserves, low transmission bottlenecks, and minimal queue competition relative to PJM and ERCOT core metros.
## What It Means
Site selectors treating excess-power scores as a primary filter will put Rural SPP on every longlist. The region offers the grid headroom that Northern Virginia, Dublin, and Phoenix lack. But the index measures *available* power, not *deliverable* power: interconnection studies in SPP average 24-36 months, and substation upgrades can add another 12-18 months to first energization. A 67 score buys you capacity; it does not buy you speed.
The implication: Rural SPP is a 2028-2029 build opportunity, not a Q3 2027 one. Developers with patient capital and multi-phase rollouts will prioritize it. Those racing to online capacity in under 18 months will not.
## Methodology
The DC Hub Power Index (DCPI) synthesizes real-time ISO loads, queued generation, transformer ratings, and substation-level constraint data across 280+ markets. The excess-power dimension measures available generation and transmission headroom; the constraint dimension measures grid congestion and upgrade risk. Both update daily.
Source: DC Hub Data Center Power Index (https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/rural-spp). Updated daily.
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