Before committing to an industrial lease, establish whether the building can support your actual electrical load, what work is required, and when service can be ready. A listing amperage figure is a starting point for investigation. It is not proof that your equipment can operate at the required date.
The phrase “the building has enough power” is not a completed diligence process. It is a conclusion that needs supporting facts.
Before signing, the tenant should understand the operating load, the existing infrastructure, any required work, and the commercial consequences if delivery changes. Those questions belong in a shared plan with the engineer, utility, landlord, and legal team.
Start with the operating load
Give the electrical engineer an equipment list, operating schedule, and growth plan. Include production, refrigeration, HVAC, material handling, IT, and charging where relevant. Identify which loads occur together and which can be scheduled differently.
Ask for the requirement in appropriate engineering terms, including voltage, phase, demand, and relevant startup characteristics. Avoid using an amperage target detached from the rest of the specification.
Establish the evidence before relying on it
| Question | Evidence or responsible party |
|---|---|
| What service is installed? | Electrical documentation and a qualified inspection of relevant equipment |
| How much is already used? | Existing load information and engineering assessment |
| Can the planned operation run on it? | Engineer's load analysis and applicable utility confirmation |
| What must change? | Defined customer and utility scope, including supporting civil or electrical work |
| What is the delivery sequence? | Application status, design, approvals, procurement, construction, and commissioning milestones |
| Who can commit to each milestone? | Named responsible parties, with assumptions and dependencies recorded |
A broker or listing agent can help gather information. Neither a marketing brochure nor an informal assurance should substitute for the technical conclusion.
Ask what a utility response actually establishes
A planning indication, submitted application, completed design, and commissioned service represent different stages. Do not treat them as equivalent.
SCE explicitly states that its preliminary capacity assessment is for planning and does not reserve capacity. Its power request process is a useful reminder to identify the exact status of any assessment or application. For another utility, confirm its own process and terminology.
If a landlord says an upgrade is underway, ask what has been submitted, which customer and load it covers, what remains outstanding, and whether the proposed tenant's needs match the project. The answer should be specific to the property and operation.
Connect the technical plan to the lease
Discuss who pays for each part of the work, who manages it, who owns installed equipment, and what removal or restoration obligations remain. An improvement that benefits the property does not automatically make the landlord responsible for its cost.
Ask counsel to translate the delivery plan into appropriate negotiated terms. Possession, early access, improvement work, rent commencement, and operating readiness may occur on different dates. Any outside date, termination right, or other protection needs to be agreed and documented; it is not an automatic remedy.
Price the fallback before it is needed
Could the operation start in phases? Could charging be scheduled differently? Would temporary arrangements be technically feasible, permitted, insurable, and economical? Some operations have workable alternatives. Others need the full service before they can open.
The final comparison should show the cost of the preferred plan and the consequence if a critical milestone slips. If an electrical requirement is central to your search, I can help keep that evidence and timeline alongside the property negotiations from the start.
Compare an upgrade with a different building
A renewal may preserve an installation that already works, while expansion changes the load requirement. A relocation may offer newer equipment but require additional utility work. Ask the engineer to evaluate both paths against the same equipment schedule and growth assumptions.
Put unresolved capacity, timing, and cost items beside the property economics. If one alternative depends on a future upgrade, identify the evidence needed before it can be treated as a dependable operating plan. An attractive rent should not hide that dependency.
If power is central to your renewal or relocation decision, contact me. We can keep the technical evidence, responsibilities, and delivery milestones alongside the property negotiations.
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