Electron Economics · DC Residual Value Model
Model Methodology
How the residual value and underwriting outputs are computed. Every adjustment factor is named, sourced, and independently challengeable.
Step 1 — Secondary Market Depth (EE Forecast 2040)
The EE Forecast 2040 model (v1.9, Aug 2026) produces US installed AI DC capacity by scenario at the renewal year, anchored to FERC's confirmed 50 GW 2025 baseline (24% CAGR 2020–2025). Base 408.5 GW by 2040 at 15.0% CAGR. Accelerated 494.1 GW at 16.5% CAGR. Constrained 303.3 GW at 12.8% CAGR. Renewal window scenarios: base 139.2 GW · accelerated 169.1 GW · constrained 102.2 GW at 2031. Scenario probabilities: 40% base, 30% accelerated, 30% constrained. These figures are read live from the shared EE_SYNC block (EE_SYNC.forecast.gw), not restated in this file — a superseded constrained run was previously hard-coded here and had drifted up to 5% high. The base case embeds Jevons rebound (efficiency drives more adoption, not less — calibrated to RAND RRA3572-1), OEM-capped BTM gas (~70 GW cumulative by 2040), ~24 GW nuclear (T1 contracted + T2 probability-weighted), and an LLT friction suppression of ~14% at 2040. Cross-reference: EE Forecast 2040 ↗
Market depth factor: Parameterised as depth = 0.70 + (GW / 2040 base total) × coefficient, with no clamp. The 0.70 intercept represents the minimum recoverable RV fraction in a thin pre-ramp secondary market (approximately 2025 conditions). The GW term scales linearly with installed capacity relative to the 2040 base total. Removed Aug 2026: the formula previously carried min(1.05), min(1.10) and max(0.55) guards. None of them bound anywhere in the 2029–2035 domain — computed ranges are depthBase 0.782–0.920, depthAccel 0.810–0.989, depthCons 0.757–0.835. The floor would require constrained GW below ~68 against a domain minimum of 74.6 GW; the caps would require base GW above 408.5 against a domain maximum of 257.1 GW. They were presented as live constraints and were not. Coefficients differ by scenario (base 0.35, accel 0.38, cons 0.30) to reflect asymmetric demand elasticity — constrained scenarios exhibit thinner depth per installed GW than accelerated. At 2031 base (139.2 GW): depth ≈ 0.82. Accelerated scenario (+22% vs base) supports stronger secondary demand and shorter re-let. Constrained scenario (−23% vs base) implies thinner secondary market and longer dark period. Efficiency breakthrough scenario excluded — at 103.4 GW in 2031 it implies demand well below installed base, representing a structural technology shift rather than a cyclical softening.
Step 2 — Asset-Specific Adjustments
ISO / LLT friction multiplier: Georgia Power PLL territory (1.08×) — near-zero friction, 11 GW contracted, PSC base rate frozen through 2028, 9,985 MW new gen certified Dec 2025. ERCOT (1.04×) — low friction, merchant exposed, BYONG pathway operational. MISO Southeast (0.96×) — AEP Ohio DCT approved Jul 2025 (85% take-or-pay, 12-yr term) signals moderate friction rising. PJM (0.92×) — 4+ year average queue, high friction; BYONG partial escape valve reduces effective friction for large loads bringing own generation. Dominion Virginia (0.85×) — $1.5M/MW collateral, 14-year minimum-take, highest friction, queue processing declining. WECC (0.84×) — Oregon Power Act Jun 2026: PGE filed +29% DC rate increase, LLT severity revised Tier 2→Tier 3; relet_adj increased to +8 months. Source: EE Tariff Tracker Aug 2026, llt_friction_per10pp=0.018 (EE_SYNC.tariff.lltFrictionPer10pp). FERC Jun 18, 2026: Six tailored orders issued requiring all regional grid operators to justify or reform large-load tariff structures within 60 days (Docket RM26-4-000). If utilities reform under this mandate, PJM/Dominion/WECC friction may loosen materially for 2027–2030 — this is upside to the constrained RV scenario.
Power contract multiplier: Prime grid with 20-yr LLT (1.0×, baseline). Nuclear PPA direct (1.10×) — clean, predictable, IG counterparty; nuclear PPAs command 3× the $/MW of grid-dependent deals (EE Scarce MW Intelligence v5.8). BTM RICE (0.88×) — on-site gas, peak-economics clearing, ESG exposure; 14.9 GW firm + 5.6 GW framework = 20.5 GW across 21 projects (EE Modular Gas Tracker Aug 2026). Corrected Aug 2026: this line previously read "11.9 GW firm + 3.8 GW framework" — the 3.8 GW was the tracker's INNIO/VoltaGrid single-OEM contracted total read as an all-market framework figure. BTM heavy GT (0.82×) — supply-constrained replacement; GE Vernova backlog 116 GW under contract incl. service agreements (Q2 2026; ≥125 GW year-end target), heavy-frame lead times 24–60 months. The prior "100 GW / 40+ months" was the Q1 2026 backlog (44 firm + 56 SRA) and a lead time the tracker does not hold; the lead-time band is now the heavy-frame class from EE_SYNC.gas.leadTimeMonths. BTM grey market (0.72×) — CF6-80C2 pool depleting, no replacement pathway. Source: EE BTM analysis, $0.06–0.08/kWh prime vs $0.25–0.30/kWh BTM gas. OEM capex context: powered shell $4.50/W of $32.75/W AI-grade all-in cost (EE Capex Stack v20, Aug 2026). Basis: $32.75/W is stated per critical IT watt, not per facility watt. Cross-reference: EE Capex Tracker ↗ · BTM OEM Tracker ↗
Tenant factor: Hyperscaler (1.0×). Oracle/Blue Owl IG-wrapped (0.98×). GPU cloud — non-IG but contracted (0.88×). AI lab non-IG standalone (0.78×). Colocation/multi-tenant (0.92×). The tenant factor captures the correlation between tenant credit quality and residual value — a non-renewing non-IG tenant signals broader compute economics stress, not just idiosyncratic default. Source: EE Who Wears the Risk Apr 2026, Crusoe-Oracle-OpenAI capital stack analysis. Deals context: Core Scientific shareholders rejected CoreWeave's $9B bid (Oct 2025) — sets floor at >$7M/MW for energised US HPC capacity; hyperscaler-backed assets clear $11–12.5M/MW (EE Scarce MW Intelligence v5.8 Jun 2026). Cross-reference: EE Deals Tracker ↗
Renewal probability: EE Forecast 2040 renewal_risk parameter at renewal year. At 2029: 1.00 (near-term renewal; minimal non-retention risk modelled). At 2030–2033: 0.92 (8% non-renewal). At 2034–2035: 0.88 (12% non-renewal). Non-renewal is not a credit default — it is a product strategy decision. The 8% haircut reflects Meta/OpenAI lease optionality observed in current deal structures.
Step 3 — Residual Value Calculation
Base RV ($/kW) = replacement_cost × market_depth_factor × power_multiplier × iso_multiplier × tenant_factor × renewal_probability
Re-let period (months dark): base 12 mo · constrained 24 mo · accelerated 6 mo. Represents the expected time to find a secondary tenant at market rate. Adjusted for ISO territory — PJM/Dominion add 6–8 months, Georgia/ERCOT subtract 3 months.
Probability-weighted RV = 0.40 × base + 0.30 × accelerated + 0.30 × constrained. The 40/30/30 split reflects EE's view that the base scenario is most likely but the distribution is not symmetric — the constrained scenario is as probable as the accelerated given capital discipline risk.
Break-even RV realisation = debt at renewal ÷ total base RV. This is the fraction of modelled base residual value the secondary market must realise for the lender to be made whole — not a physical occupancy rate. It was labelled "break-even occupancy" prior to Aug 2026; the label was wrong and the calculation was not. A break-even of 75% means the lender is covered if secondary market realisations are at least 75% of modelled base RV.
Step 4 — Underwriting Outputs
Coverage ratio = prob-weighted RV / debt outstanding at renewal. Debt outstanding = origination debt × (1 − amortisation %). Target: 1.20–1.50× per IG underwriter convention.
Stressed coverage = constrained-scenario RV / debt. This is the number the IG risk-taker is writing against — coverage in the scenario where secondary demand is thinnest.
IG capacity needed = max(0, target_coverage × debt − prob_weighted_RV). This is the guarantee amount — the shortfall between the RV the asset supports and the coverage the credit committee requires. This is the size of the IG residual value product.
Coverage waterfall chart: All bars expressed as % of replacement cost. "Target coverage" bar = target ratio × (debt at renewal / replacement cost) — it is the coverage-adjusted debt target, which may exceed 100% of replacement cost for assets with high LTC and low amortisation at aggressive coverage targets.
Systemic vs idiosyncratic split: Renewal non-retention is modelled as 60% systemic (correlated with AI demand scenario) and 40% idiosyncratic (asset/tenant specific). The systemic component cannot be diversified away across a portfolio — it requires scenario-conditional underwriting, not actuarial pooling. This is the core argument for IG risk-taking capacity rather than pooled insurance.
Renewal year cap: Scenario data is available through 2035. For lease vintages and terms producing a renewal beyond 2035, the model uses 2035 scenario values and displays a warning. This is a model boundary, not a view on marketability.
Step 5 — Structured Provenance
Every numeric constant in this model, with the evidence it rests on. Confidence is stated per source: Filed the document is on file with a regulator or is a published EE dataset with its own provenance · Filing an active proceeding, the number may still move · Inferred an EE analytical estimate, not an observed value. The multiplier values are EE analytical estimates throughout — the entry-level pill says so rather than leaving the concession in the Limitations prose.
Limitations: This model does not produce a legal guarantee, credit rating, or investment recommendation. All multipliers are EE analytical estimates. The renewal risk parameter is calibrated to observed 2025–2026 deal structures — it may not reflect future market conventions. The systemic/idiosyncratic split is an assumption, not an empirical estimate. Scenario GW figures read live from EE Forecast 2040 (v1.9, Aug 2026) via EE_SYNC; ISO multipliers from EE Tariff Tracker (Aug 2026). Every multiplier carries a structured
sources array — see Step 5 below and the Changelog. LLT friction landscape is actively evolving: FERC Docket RM26-4-000 (Jun 2026) may reduce friction in constrained ISOs faster than base case assumes. Community opposition (36+ projects delayed, $162B in investment — Data Center Watch Jun 2026) and Oregon Power Act are emerging friction factors not yet fully parameterised. This tool is a structured framework for practitioner discussion. ·
electroneconomics.substack.com ·
Analytical framework · Not a rating