LandownerIntel publishes this page and sells reports. This is not an independent ranking. We reviewed public vendor pages, not their paid products. See Sources for the links and review dates.
How do I make sure the screening uses the right location?
Start with the property's address or coordinates. Compare the mapped point with your parcel papers. An address match is not a boundary survey. On a large rural property, the entrance may be far from the planned facility or utility route.
Record the location, map source and date for each check. If a report uses a nearby gauge, watershed (the land area that drains to a waterway) or operating facility, mark that location separately from your parcel. This helps you read distances and conditions correctly.
How do I check nearby grid infrastructure without confusing it with capacity?
A nearby line may not offer the service a project needs. Voltage describes the mapped asset; it does not show available power capacity. DOE explains why the process, rules and technical review matter.
- Find mapped transmission lines and substations near the property point. Keep source dates and any listed owner or voltage details.
- Find the serving utility and ask which team handles new power demand or generation requests.
- For a data center, ask about service review and the project's power needs. For solar, ask about grid connection and power export.
- Ask about possible upgrades, utility service location, studies, costs, timing and what would count as a commitment.
- Mark capacity and connection details unconfirmed until the utility answers.
What do nearby USGS stream gauges tell me?
USGS gauges record readings at a set place and time. Streamflow means water moving through a stream. Water-level and past readings show local conditions and change, not your legal right to water or a data center's actual water use.
Check the gauge ID, distance, waterway, units, reading time and whether the reading is available. No reading means missing evidence, not a dry waterway. Read historical averages with their time period and data coverage.
Ask the developer for the facility's cooling design and water needs. Ask the supplier or regulator about service, permitted water use, water rights, drought limits and wastewater. A map showing nearby water does not answer these questions.
How should I use flood and climate information?
Use FEMA's Map Service Center to find official flood maps for the location. Check the map panel and effective date. FEMA says there is no 'no-risk zone'; a lower-risk map label does not promise no flooding.
Use climate and drought readings as dated context. If a report compares an operating data center, check how it was chosen, its distance and available measures. Conditions there do not predict heat, noise, traffic or water use at an unbuilt project.
This guide recommends checking FEMA maps separately. Their inclusion here does not mean every LandownerIntel PDF has a flood analysis.
What evidence should I bring to my utility and advisers?
LandownerIntel screening PDFs start at $19 and organize grid maps, water and climate sources. They do not replace written answers from the people listed above. Higher tiers add explanation and questions, not utility approval.
| Screening evidence | Question to ask | Who should confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Mapped line or substation | What service route, capacity review and upgrades does this project need? | Serving utility or grid connection authority. |
| Nearby gauge or drought record | What water service, permits and limits apply? | Water supplier, regulator and local counsel. |
| FEMA flood map | What design, permits or insurance questions need review? | Local floodplain office and technical advisers. |
| Operating climate comparison | What project-specific environmental or operating studies are still needed? | Project engineers and reviewing agencies. |
| Proposed lease or option | Who pays for studies, upgrades, access and restoration? | Independent local attorney reviewing the terms. |
Frequently asked questions
- How do I check grid infrastructure and water conditions near my property before signing a lease?
- Confirm the location and review dated grid maps, USGS readings and official flood maps. Ask the utility, water supplier and regulators about project service, capacity and rights. Have local counsel review who is responsible under the agreement.
- Does a high-voltage line near my property mean a data center can connect?
- No. A mapped line and its voltage do not prove available capacity, service location, upgrade costs or approval. The serving utility must review the project.
- Can nearby streamflow prove that I have sufficient water rights?
- No. Streamflow is water moving through a stream, measured at a gauge. Local review is needed to confirm legal rights, permitted water use and supplier commitments.
- Does a climate comparison predict the proposed data center's impacts?
- No. An operating analog is an observation at another place. It does not predict noise, heat, traffic or actual water use at an unbuilt project.
Sources and limits
- DOE interconnection resources
Explains generation grid connections; the serving utility must review a project's service request.
https://www.energy.gov/cmei/i2x/interconnection-resources
- USGS streamflow monitoring
Explains what stream-gauge readings measure.
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/groundwater-and-streamflow-information-program/streamflow-monitoring
- USGS real-time water data
Check the station, units, dates and missing readings.
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt
- USGS water use in the United States
Physical water use is different from local water laws and rights.
https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/water-use-united-states
- FEMA flood maps
Official flood maps and their limits.
https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps
- FEMA Map Service Center
Find the official map panel and its effective date.
https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home
Related pages
See what a report contains
A screening report, not a valuation or a grid-capacity commitment.
Educational information only, not legal, tax, or appraisal advice.