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Data centers are turning to old jet engines as the wait for power grows

ChipsNovember 4, 20262 min read

Some AI data centers are now making their own electricity using old jet engines that have been rebuilt to burn natural gas. They do this because they can't wait years for power from the grid.

Data centers turn to jet engines for power

Many AI data centers are waiting years to connect to the electric grid, the network that carries power to homes and businesses. Some are not waiting. They are using jet engines taken from retired planes and rebuilt to run on natural gas. These engines make electricity on site. They are not meant to be permanent power plants, but they can be started quickly.

Key facts

A jet-powered unit can get a data center running in about 24 months, according to Rystad Energy analyst Audun Martinsen.
Connecting 100 megawatts to the grid in Northern Virginia takes about seven years, according to the International Energy Agency.
Most new power capacity is expected to come online by 2031, according to a Mitsubishi Power executive.
xAI has installed eight converted jet-engine turbines in Mississippi to help power its Colossus 2 data center in Memphis.
Crusoe ordered 13 converted units from ProEnergy in April. In September, it walked away from a $1.25 billion deal for 29 gas turbines from Boom Supersonic.

Why the wait is so long

Power supply has fallen behind the fast growth of AI. Data centers need huge amounts of electricity. Utilities may not have enough power to deliver, and new gas turbines are also in short supply. In one case, Microsoft pulled out as the main customer of Nscale's data center in Loughton, England, after the local utility said it could not supply enough power until the early to mid-2030s.

Why it matters

Power delays can stop AI projects before they start. Jet engines offer a faster option, but they are less efficient and pollute more than turbines made for regular gas plants. They also need more units to make the same amount of power. Some experts think efficiency and pollution concerns will grow in the next year or two, so these engines may be only a short-term fix.

What to watch

Whether more data centers add their own jet-engine power units.
How the Trump administration's push for on-site power generation affects data center builders.
Whether efficiency and pollution rules tighten for converted jet engines.
Whether grid connection times get shorter as utilities add capacity.

Glossary

ProEnergy: A company that rebuilds jet engines so they can make power on the ground.
Crusoe: A Denver startup that builds AI data centers.
Boom Supersonic: A startup developing a supersonic passenger jet and selling a version of its engine as a data center power plant.

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