Research methodology
Where every number comes from.
Public filings, licensed data, company reports, and dated reference sets. Each result shows the sources used.
Representative Source Families
These categories are research inputs, not a claim of continuous connection, complete coverage, or current licensing for every named source.
Government & Regulatory
- • Department of Energy (DOE): National energy consumption data, data center electricity projections
- • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL): Data center energy research and forecasts
- • FERC: Federal energy regulations, Order 2023 interconnection rules
- • State PUCs: Utility tariffs, rate cases, data center-specific regulations
- • EIA: Energy Information Administration statistics and pricing data
Grid Operators (ISOs/RTOs)
- • PJM: Interconnection queue data, capacity auction results, congestion pricing
- • ERCOT: Real-time grid conditions, resource adequacy reports
- • CAISO: Renewable integration data, transmission constraints
- • MISO, SPP, NYISO, ISO-NE: Regional grid data and queue status
Industry & Financial
- • Corporate filings: 10-K/10-Q reports from public data center operators
- • Earnings calls: Management commentary on energy costs and expansion plans
- • Licensed transaction databases: Infrastructure-deal data when configured for an engagement
- • Permit filings: Construction permits and environmental assessments
The GreenCIO Compute Index
The GreenCIO Compute Index compares GPU-hour prices by hardware, region, and purchase term. Published values require enough current market observations and identified sources.
How a price is prepared
- • Collect: use provider rates and contributed quotes with identified sources and permitted use.
- • Review: remove old or unusual observations according to the published method.
- • Calculate: publish a value, range, observation count, and calculation date.
- • Compare: show differences by region, hardware, and purchase term when enough data is available.
Before publication
- • Record the method: each result identifies the method and source observations used.
- • Review the result: a person approves a price before customer publication.
- • External assurance: GreenCIO does not currently claim IOSCO compliance, independent oversight, or an operating public benchmark.
- • Business boundary: GreenCIO does not operate an exchange, clearing house, or brokerage. That posture is not a substitute for an independent governance program.
Compute Desk access is limited. Public benchmark values appear only when current data, source rights, and review requirements are satisfied.
Update schedule
Update frequency depends on the source. Each published result shows its date.
Feed schedule
- • News and press releases
- • M&A announcements
- • Regulatory filing alerts
- • GCS-backed feed updates when storage is connected
Source-Dependent Updates
- • Interconnection queue changes
- • Tariff modifications
- • Permit applications
- • Weather and climate data where connected
Potential Periodic Analysis
- • Queue progression analytics
- • Regional trend reports
- • Policy change summaries
- • Market sentiment indicators
Analyst Review Targets
- • Comprehensive market reports
- • Regulatory landscape updates
- • Infrastructure development tracking
- • ESG metrics compilation
Illustrative Analytical Framework
Risk Scoring Inputs
A configured engagement can combine factors such as:
- • Grid risk: Queue position, interconnection delays, and capacity constraints
- • Regulatory risk: Current tariffs, proposed changes, and jurisdiction context
- • Energy-cost risk: Price volatility, renewable availability, and demand charges
- • Environmental risk: Water stress, extreme-weather exposure, and carbon intensity
Weighting and thresholds are engagement-specific unless a reviewed methodology version explicitly says otherwise.
Scenario Outputs
Models and rules can frame hypotheses for analyst review, including:
- • Interconnection approval timelines
- • Energy price trajectories
- • Regulatory change probability
- • Infrastructure build-out patterns
These are analysis scenarios, not measured forecasts.
Review checklist
Before customer use
- Source identity and usage rights recorded for supported inputs
- Source date checked
- Unusual and excluded observations available for review
- Human approval for customer-serving Compute Index publication
What each result shows
- Source attribution where the underlying record supports it
- Confidence or uncertainty shown only when the method supplies it
- Material assumptions available for analyst review
- Methodology and data-state changes distinguished from live proof
Method in practice
Source trail: Outputs should preserve source attribution, confidence, and assumptions so analysts can verify before acting.
Related records: Grid, regulatory, financial, and environmental sources can be reviewed in a single risk framework.
Scenario comparison: Historical and current inputs can support scenario comparisons; they are not verified outcome forecasts by default.
Review briefs: Selected records can be summarized in research briefs tied to a portfolio when the relevant client data is connected.
See how evidence reaches the desk
Public filings, licensed data, company reports, and dated reference sets. Each result shows the sources used.