Answer: Renting saves upfront capital but costs more per kWh over time. Buying is more efficient if load is stable 3+ years.

Supporting data:

• Rental O&M avg: $0.15–0.22/kWh (industry surveys)
• Owned O&M avg: $0.09–0.13/kWh (USP&E benchmarks, 2025)
• Case: Liberia gold mine switched from rental to owned turbines, saved $12M in 24 months.
• CTA: USP&E O&M Case Study.