Facing multi-year delays for public utility hookups that have already stalled major industry investments, technology companies are turning to on-site natural gas power. Converted aircraft turbines can be installed in about 24 months, bypassing local grid queues that can stretch to seven years for a 100-megawatt connection. These repurposing projects have gained momentum under Trump administration policies urging data hubs to supply their own electricity. Despite their deployment speed, experts warn that the units generate more pollution and deliver lower operating efficiency than standard power plants.
Key points
Repurposed jet engines provide a fast alternative to public grid wait times that currentl…: Repurposed jet engines provide a fast alternative to public grid wait times that currently extend into the 2030s.
Federal policies under the Trump administration are actively encouraging technology firms…: Federal policies under the Trump administration are actively encouraging technology firms to pursue self-generated electricity solutions.
Higher emissions and poor fuel efficiency mean these converted turbines serve primarily a…: Higher emissions and poor fuel efficiency mean these converted turbines serve primarily as temporary stopgaps rather than permanent fixtures.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Stuck in years-long lines for grid connections and new turbines, some AI data centers are making their own electricity with converted jet engines, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
The engines, pulled from retired aircraft and rebuilt to burn natural gas, aren’t anyone’s idea of a permanent power plant. But they’re another sign of how far power supply has fallen behind the AI buildout.
For companies stuck in those lines, the main draw of converted jet engines is how quickly the engines can be up and running. “It’s all about getting power as fast as possible,” Rystad Energy analyst Audun Martinsen told the Times. With jet-powered units, “they can have a data center running in 24 months,” he said.
Hooking up 100 megawatts to the grid in Northern Virginia, by comparison, takes about seven years, according to the International Energy Agency. Most power capacity is expected to come on by 2031, an executive at Mitsubishi Power, one of the world’s top makers of power generation equipment told Bloomberg last week.
In some cases, these delays are already costing some data…
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