Utility procurement considers capital cost, guaranteed losses, lifecycle energy cost, reliability history, and service support. Larger utilities may require competitive tenders with strict technical evaluations. Costs are affected by specialized requirements like high BIL, seismic performance, fire-safe designs, and advanced online monitoring. Factory testing, on-site commissioning, extended warranties, and spare units also factor in. Long lead times, transport complexity, and substation civil works often dwarf the bare equipment price.