AI Data Centers Turn to Jet Engines for 100 MW Power as Grid Waits Stretch to 7 Years
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Nov 3
AI Data Centers Turn to Jet Engines for 100 MW Power as Grid Waits Stretch to 7 Years
3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Nov 3
Summary
Converted jet engines are being deployed to power some AI data centers because grid hookups and new turbines are taking years, letting operators get sites running in about 24 months.
Northern Virginia can take roughly seven years to connect 100 megawatts to the grid, while much of the needed new power capacity is not expected to arrive until 2031.
xAI has installed eight converted jet-engine turbines in Mississippi to support its Colossus 2 data center in Memphis, and Crusoe ordered 13 rebuilt units for OpenAI’s Stargate site in Abilene, Texas.
Power shortages are already affecting projects: Microsoft last month withdrew as anchor customer for Nscale’s Loughton, England, data center after the utility said sufficient power would not arrive until the early-to-mid 2030s.
The stopgap fits Trump administration pressure for self-generation, but the engines are less efficient and more polluting than conventional gas turbines, making them a likely short-term fix.