AI data centers turn to converted jet engines for power

Some AI data centers are turning to jet engines removed from retired aircraft and converted to burn natural gas, according to The New York Times, cited by TechCrunch. The alternative can be brought online faster: Rystad Energy analyst Audun Martinsen told the Times that the units can get a data center running in 24 months, while connecting 100 megawatts to the grid in Northern Virginia takes about seven years, according to the International Energy Agency.

xAI has already installed eight such turbines in Mississippi to help power Colossus 2, the Times reported, and OpenAI used gas turbines at its first Stargate site in Texas in 2025. Crusoe ordered 13 units but walked away from a $1.25 billion deal for 29 turbines. The converted engines are less efficient and more polluting than conventional turbines, potentially making them a short-term solution.