By Robert Haugh
The electrical substation next to the 49ers practice facility in Santa Clara has decided to speak for itself.
Sort of.
A parody X account called “Electrical Substation” (@SCSubstation) popped up last week. It pokes fun at the conspiracy theory that electromagnetic fields from the Silicon Valley Power facility are responsible for the 49ers’ endless string of injuries.
Here’s the account’s bio:
ABC7 reported on the account last week as the 49ers entered another season with injuries already piling up during training camp.
The jokes are the latest chapter in a story that refuses to go away.
The theory claims electromagnetic fields from the substation near Levi’s Stadium and the 49ers practice fields could be contributing to player injuries.
Earlier this year, 49ers General Manager John Lynch said the team had an independent expert examine the issue. Lynch later called the substation theory a “big nothing burger.”
That didn’t stop the jokes.
Santa Clara News Online readers may remember the April Fool’s Day story about 49ers owner Jed York revealing the mysterious Silicon Valley Power substation consultant the team hired. (Hint: he’s a convicted felon).
Apparently, the substation has now decided it needs its own social media operation.
Let’s see if it makes endorsements in the upcoming Santa Clara elections.
The substation and data centers are going to spread cancer and other serious medical conditions to those living on the northside.
I asked Silicon Sam which came first, the chicken (forty-whiners) or the egg (substation)? Is it like moving next to an airport and complaining about the noise? Here’s part of what Silicon Sam told this carbon.
The electrical infrastructure came first. The training site has been used by the team since 1988, and the adjacent Silicon Valley Power substation was established around 1987–1988.
Levi’s Stadium itself was built much later, opening in 2014, at which point the neighboring substation was expanded.
The Substation and Timeline1987–1988:
The utility substation is built, and the 49ers establish their adjacent practice facility.2014:
Levi’s Stadium opens next door, and the substation undergoes an expansion to support increased local power demand.2025–2026:
A viral social media theory gains traction following an injury-heavy 49ers season, claiming EMF exposure degrades collagen and tendons.