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AI Infrastructure Financing Playbook
Compare CapEx, OpEx, and revenue-share models. Find the right financing structure for your infrastructure investment.
CapEx Model
Full ownership with upfront capital investment
Initial Cost $8-12M per MW (industry avg)
Monthly Cost $80K per MW
3-Year TCO $12M per MW
Approval Timeline 6-9 months
Best For Large enterprises with strong balance sheets
Advantages
- Full asset ownership
- Maximum control
- Depreciation benefits
Considerations
- High upfront capital
- Long approval cycles
- Balance sheet impact
OpEx Model
Colocation lease with operating expense treatment
Initial Cost $0
Monthly Cost $200K per MW
3-Year TCO $7.2M per MW
Approval Timeline 2-4 months
Best For Companies seeking faster deployment and OpEx treatment
Advantages
- No upfront capital
- Operating expense
- Faster approval
Considerations
- Higher monthly costs
- No ownership
- Contract obligations
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Metric | CapEx | OpEx | Revenue-Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Investment (industry avg) | $8-12M/MW | $0 | $0 |
| Monthly Cost | $80K/MW | $200K/MW | Variable |
| 3-Year TCO | $12M/MW | $7.2M/MW | $5-9M/MW |
| Approval Time | 6-9 months | 2-4 months | 1-2 months |
| Balance Sheet | Asset | Expense | Expense |
| Control Level | Full | Moderate | Limited |
| Scalability | Fixed | Contractual | Elastic |
Recommended by Deployment Scale
1-5 MW
OpEx or Revenue-Share
Faster deployment, lower risk for initial deployments
5-20 MW
OpEx or Hybrid
Balance control with capital efficiency
20+ MW
CapEx or Hybrid
Economics favor ownership at scale
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