As demand for artificial intelligence computing grows, some data center operators are turning to retired aircraft engines rebuilt to run on natural gas. The units can be brought online faster than waiting for new grid connections or conventional power equipment.
The appeal is speed: a data center supplied by these generators could be operating in about two years. By comparison, the International Energy Agency estimates that connecting 100 megawatts to the grid in Northern Virginia can take around seven years.
xAI has installed eight converted turbines in Mississippi to help power its Colossus 2 data center in Memphis. The equipment is rebuilt by ProEnergy using a GE engine commonly used in Boeing aircraft. OpenAI has also adopted gas turbines for its first Stargate site in Abilene, Texas, where data center developer Crusoe ordered 13 converted units.
The approach comes with trade-offs. Rebuilt aircraft engines are less efficient and produce more pollution than turbines designed for conventional gas power plants, while requiring more units to generate the same output. Their role may therefore be most useful as a near-term way to supply power while grid capacity and purpose-built equipment catch up.
How data centers secure electricity is becoming a defining part of AI infrastructure. Faster, cleaner power solutions could shape how quickly the next generation of computing facilities expands.
