The argument for greater use of performance metrics
$7T AI data center capex needs verified metrics; static reports miss power/thermal volatility and SLA events, inflating risk. Verification gap costs 100–200 bps financing premiums ($5–10M/year per $500M). Standardizing SCADA/DCIM telemetry unlocks cheaper debt.
Artificial intelligence shifts hyperscale investment towards cities with abundant electricity, reshaping global data centre markets.
From 2015 to 2024, average retail electricity prices decreased by 3.5% for every doubling of data center capacity, new research finds.
Data centers reduced electricity costs 3.5% per capacity doubling; $7T infrastructure buildout reverses this if AI demand stalls. Oversized grid infrastructure forces fixed cost recovery from fewer customers—a material OpEx risk embedded in enterprise AI ROI models.