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Table of Contents in significant delay or prevent the development of the generation we require. Grid-tied electrical supply, for instance, is subject to the jurisdiction of federal and state energy regulators, regional grid operators, and public utility commissions, while behind-the-meter and on-site generation is subject to a distinct set of exclusive service franchise protections, permitting, environmental, air quality, interconnection, and siting requirements. In addition, environmental standards applicable to power generation continue to evolve, including as a result of changing governmental priorities and shifting public and political views regarding climate change and the appropriate treatment of various power generation sources. Any failure to secure access to adequate electrical power, any legal, regulatory, or other administrative action or change limiting the availability of electricity, or any significant increase in energy or compliance costs, could adversely affect our cost structure and limit our ability to scale our compute infrastructure, develop and deploy our models, and service our customers. We have also made, and may in the future make, voluntary commitments to offset the impact of our data center energy consumption on local communities and electricity ratepayers, including commitments to cover grid infrastructure upgrade costs, procure new power generation to match our energy needs, invest in curtailment systems to reduce strain on the grid during peak demand periods, and address environmental impacts. These commitments have increased, and we expect will continue to increase, our operating costs. Moreover, we believe this is part of a broader emerging trend in the AI industry, and such commitments, or similar obligations, may become increasingly standard or required, which could further increase our costs. In addition, the physical effects of climate change may increase our operating costs over time, as higher average temperatures can increase the power consumption and water usage required to cool equipment at the facilities on which we depend. Data Center Infrastructure Even where chips and electrical power are available, the development of data center facilities requires substantial time, capital, and specialized expertise. Data center construction involves lengthy permitting processes, complex supply chains for specialized equipment, and significant lead times for the installation and commissioning of cooling systems, electrical infrastructure, and networking equipment. Labor shortages, including shortages of, and competition for, electricians, facility technicians, and other skilled tradespeople, supply chain disruptions, permitting delays, and other factors can extend construction timelines and increase costs. Further, given data center development projects require advanced and significant capital commitments with dedicated end users, we have in some cases relied, and expect to continue to rely, on arrangements for financing or with partners who guarantee the lease obligations to support the development of data center capacity that is expected to host such partner’s chips or computing infrastructure. In addition, there are a limited number of qualified third-party vendors with the expertise we require and that support the particular infrastructure we wish to implement. Accordingly, we rely on this limited number of third parties for the construction, management, and operation of certain of our data center facilities, some of which have limited operating history or may have less experience operating data center infrastructure at the scale and complexity our operations require. In certain cases, these third-party operators are trained or supervised by our chip partners to manage facilities on our behalf but are not affiliates of those partners and may not have the same depth of expertise, operational resilience, or resources. Any failure by these third-party operators to perform as expected could disrupt our access to compute. In addition, safety or environmental incidents at facilities built or operated for us, whatever their cause, could expose us to claims, fines, or suspensions of construction or operations, the costs of which we may bear. We also depend on an extended network of suppliers, builders, and facility operators. If any of them engage in practices that are unsafe, unlawful, or contrary to the labor, human rights, environmental, or other standards we or our partners require, we could face legal liability, lose the ability to use affected suppliers or facilities, and suffer harm to our reputation, even where we did not direct or know of the conduct. Our collective data center infrastructure is currently concentrated primarily in the United States, which exposes us to risks associated with regional regulatory changes, power grid constraints or failures, disruptions to network connectivity between facilities, natural disasters, physical attacks—including those motivated by geopolitical events, opposition to AI, and opposition to data center development—and other disruptions that could affect multiple facilities. Certain state, local, and municipal jurisdictions in the United States are also considering or have approved moratoriums on new data center construction, citing public health, safety, and environmental concerns. Such jurisdictions and other regulators, grid operators, or utilities may also adopt other measures that subject users of large electricity loads, including data centers, to curtailment, interruptions, forced reductions, disconnection, or other restrictions during periods of grid stress, whether through changes in 36
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