Facing multi-year queues for new grid connections and large-scale turbines, several AI-focused data centers are turning to repurposed jet engines to generate electricity on site, according to a recent New York Times report. The engines are salvaged from retired aircraft and retrofitted to run on natural gas, offering a stop-gap power source while traditional supply lags behind demand.
Analysts stress that speed is the primary advantage. Rystad Energy analyst Audun Martinsen told the Times that a jet-powered unit can enable a data center to become operational within 24 months, a timeline far shorter than conventional projects. The converted turbines are not intended as permanent plants, but they can bridge the gap while larger infrastructure is built.
Connecting a 100-megawatt load to the grid in Northern Virginia typically requires about seven years, according to the International Energy Agency. By contrast, most new power capacity is projected to come online by 2031, a timeline cited by a Mitsubishi Power executive in a Bloomberg interview. These long lead times underscore the pressure on AI data centers to secure reliable electricity quickly.
Delays have already affected customer commitments. Microsoft withdrew as the anchor tenant for Nscale’s planned facility in Loughton, England after the local utility indicated power would not be available until the early to mid-2030s. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s xAI installed eight converted jet-engine turbines in Mississippi to support its Colossus 2 data center, and OpenAI equipped its 2025 Stargate site in Abilene, Texas with similar gas turbines supplied by ProEnergy.
The current U.S. administration is encouraging data centers to produce their own electricity, adding regulatory pressure to the supply crunch. Converted jet engines, however, are less efficient and emit more pollutants than purpose-built gas turbines, requiring a larger fleet to deliver equivalent power. Experts warn that these environmental and efficiency drawbacks could become more significant as the industry matures.
Because the retrofit units are not designed for long-term operation, many observers view them as a temporary bridge rather than a permanent solution. As efficiency standards tighten and climate concerns rise, data center operators may need to transition to more conventional, lower-emission generation assets within the next few years. The jet-engine approach thus highlights both the urgency of power shortages and the challenges of sustainable scaling.