Data Centers Tap Old Jet Engines for Fast Power
Original: Data centers are turning to old jet engines as the wait for power grows
Why This Matters
Grid delays threatening AI buildout timelines are forcing costly, high-emission workarounds at scale.
AI data centers, unable to wait years for grid connections, are converting retired aircraft jet engines to run on natural gas. xAI, OpenAI's Stargate, and Crusoe are among operators deploying units from ProEnergy, which rebuilds GE engines from Boeing jets.
Grid connection queues stretching up to seven years are pushing AI data center operators toward an unconventional fix: jet engines pulled from retired aircraft and rebuilt to burn natural gas. The New York Times reported Tuesday that these converted turbines can get a data center running in roughly 24 months, versus the IEA's estimate of seven years to hook 100 megawatts to the grid in Northern Virginia. Rystad Energy analyst Audun Martinsen put it plainly: 'It's all about getting power as fast as possible.'
Elon Musk's xAI has already installed eight converted jet-engine turbines in Mississippi to support its Colossus 2 data center in Memphis, with units sourced from ProEnergy. OpenAI used similar gas turbines at its first Stargate site in Abilene, Texas, in 2025. Crusoe, the Denver-based AI data center builder running that Abilene campus, ordered 13 ProEnergy units in April, months after walking away from a $1.25 billion deal with Boom Supersonic for 29 natural gas turbines.
The power crunch is already costing operators deals. Microsoft last month dropped out as anchor customer for Nscale's Loughton, England data center after the local utility said adequate power wouldn't arrive until the early-to-mid 2030s. The Trump administration is adding pressure by encouraging data centers to self-generate electricity.
The trade-offs are real: converted jet engines are less efficient, emit more pollutants, and require more units to match the output of purpose-built gas plant turbines. Experts say environmental and efficiency pressures may force a rethink within a year or two, making this largely a short-term workaround.