GoKawiilAI data centers deploy converted jet engines to bypass grid delays
Facing multi-year waits for grid connections and new turbines, some AI data center operators are installing retrofitted jet engines that burn natural gas to generate their own power, according to the New York Times. xAI has installed eight such units from ProEnergy in Mississippi to help power its Colossus 2 facility, and OpenAI-linked developer Crusoe has ordered 13 more for the Stargate site in Abilene, Texas.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The move illustrates how badly electricity supply is lagging the pace of AI infrastructure buildout, with standard grid hookups in places like Northern Virginia taking roughly seven years according to the IEA. Microsoft's withdrawal from an Nscale data center deal over power delivery timelines suggests these delays are already reshaping deal-making, and reliance on jet-engine generators could become a stopgap strategy for companies racing to bring capacity online faster than utilities can keep up.
- Converted jet engines can reportedly get a data center running in about 24 months, versus roughly seven years for standard grid connections.
- xAI and Crusoe (building for OpenAI's Stargate project) have already deployed or ordered these retrofitted turbines from ProEnergy.
- Power delivery delays have already caused at least one lost contract, with Microsoft exiting an Nscale data center deal in England.
Source: techcrunch.com — Aditya Mehta, 2026-11-03
Published there as: “Data centers are turning to old jet engines as the wait for power grows”
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