Note 11. Derivatives

Power Supply Contract and Demand Response Services Programs

In May 2020, the Company entered into a Power Supply Agreement with TXU Energy Retail Company LLC to provide the delivery of 130 MW of electricity by TXU to the Rockdale Facility, via the facility owned by Oncor Electric Delivery Company, LLC, at fixed prices through April 30, 2030. In March and November 2022, the Company and TXU agreed to increase the amount of electricity to be provided under the Power Supply Agreement by 65 MW and 150 MW, respectively, of electricity at fixed prices through April 30, 2030 and October 31, 2027, respectively, for a total of 345 MW under contract at fixed prices.

If more electricity is used than is contracted, the cost of the excess is incurred at the current spot rate. Concurrently with the Power Supply Agreement, the Company entered into a contract with Oncor for the extension of delivery system transmission/substation facilities to facilitate delivery of the electricity to the Rockdale Facility (the “Facilities Agreement”). Power costs incurred under this contract are determined on an hourly basis using settlement information provided by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (“ERCOT”) and are recorded in Cost of revenue: Data Center Hosting on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

In collaboration with market participants such as the Company, ERCOT has a Demand Response Services Program for customers that have the ability to reduce or modify electricity use in response to instructions or signals. The Demand Response Services Program provides the ERCOT market with valuable reliability and economic services by helping to preserve system reliability, enhancing competition, mitigating price spikes, and encouraging the demand side of the market to respond better to wholesale price signals. Market participants with electrical loads like the Company may participate in the Demand Response Service Program directly by offering their electrical loads into the ERCOT markets, or indirectly by voluntarily reducing their energy usage in response to increasing wholesale prices.

Under the Demand Response Services Program, depending on the spot market price of electricity, we may, when there is a benefit to our Company, offer electricity back to ERCOT in exchange for cash payments or credits against future power costs, rather than using the power for the Company’s operations during these peak times to most efficiently manage our operating costs. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we sold approximately $27.3 million and $6.5 million, respectively, in electricity back to ERCOT in exchange for credits against future power costs. These sales back to ERCOT are recorded in Power curtailment credits on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The Company determined the Power Supply Agreement meets the definition of a derivative because the Demand Response Services Program allows for net settlement. However, because we have the ability to offer the power back to the grid rather than take physical delivery, physical delivery is not probable through the entirety of the contract and therefore, we do not believe the normal purchases and normal sales scope exception applies to the Power Supply Agreement. Accordingly, the Power Supply Agreement (the non-hedging derivative contract) is accounted for as a derivative and recorded at its estimated fair value each reporting period in Derivative asset on the Consolidated Balance Sheets with the change in the fair value recorded in Change in fair value of derivative asset on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Power Supply Agreement is not designated as a hedging instrument.

The estimated fair value of the Company’s derivate asset is classified in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy due to the significant unobservable inputs utilized in the valuation. Specifically, our discounted cash flow estimation models contain quoted commodity exchange spot and forward prices and are adjusted for basis spreads for load zone-to-hub differentials through the term of the Power Supply Agreement, which ends in December 2030. The discount rate utilized of approximately 22.3% includes observable market inputs, but also includes unobservable inputs based on qualitative judgment related to company-specific risk factors.

The terms of the Power Supply Agreement require margin-based collateral, calculated as exposure resulting from fluctuations in the market cost rate of electricity versus the fixed price stated in the contract. As of December 31, 2022, the margin-based collateral requirement of the Company was zero.

While we manage operating costs at the Rockdale Facility in part by periodically selling unused or uneconomical power in the market back to ERCOT, we do not consider such actions trading activities. That is, we do not engage in speculation in the power market as part of our ordinary activities.

The following table presents changes in the estimated fair value of the Derivative asset:

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