Data centers pivot to aircraft turbines, generators to bypass grid connection delays

Companies building data centers are increasingly relying on jet engine-based turbines and fossil fuel generators to meet electricity demands, as bottlenecks in supply chains and lengthy grid connection processes push developers toward alternative power solutions. Producers of turbines derived from aircraft engines and diesel-powered generators say orders have jumped as data center operators look for ways to avoid waiting for traditional grid hookups and larger gas turbines to become available. “The incentives have never been greater for any sort of technology that can supply power,” according to Kasparas Spokas, who directs the electricity programme at the Clean Air Task Force. The scramble for on-site electricity comes as data centers encounter waiting periods stretching to seven years for grid connections, along with public resistance over how their energy consumption affects utility costs. Installing power equipment like jet engine turbines and generators directly at data center locations allows companies to run their artificial intelligence systems without needing immediate grid access. Major tech players secure jet engine power GE Vernova has agreed to provide data center operator Crusoe with turbines adapted from aircraft engines. These units are projected to generate close to 1 gigawatt of electricity for the Stargate data center in Texas, which will serve OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. Ken Parks, who serves as chief financial officer at GE Vernova, informed investors in December that the firm was experiencing “growing demand” for its aircraft-derived and smaller gas units, which “serve as bridge power supporting data centre needs.” The company’s aircraft-based turbine orders increased by one-third during the first nine months of 2025 when measured against the same period in the prior year. ProEnergy has delivered over 1 gigawatt worth of 50-megawatt gas turbines that come directly from jet engine designs. Though the company increasingly manufactures components independently, it continues using CF6-80C2 engine cores, the same type found in Boeing 747 aircraft. “We can deliver more quickly than bigger original equipment manufacturers,” said Andrew Gilbert, a partner at Energy Capital Partners, which holds the majority stake in ProEnergy Holdings. “The ability to find a few hundred megawatts to get started with, and then grow over time is useful too.” Aviation startup Boom Supersonic, which counts Sam Altman among its backers, struck a deal to sell turbines to Crusoe that should deliver 1.2 gigawatts of power. These turbines are “virtually identical” to units designed for the company’s aircraft. Boom Supersonic plans to channel profits from power turbine sales into financing its jet manufacturing operations. “Three or four years ago I imagined we would do the airplane first and energy second,” chief executive Blake Scholl told the Financial Times. “But then I got a call from Sam Altman who said: ‘Please, please, please make us something.'” Diesel generator demand doubles Diesel and gas-powered generators are also seeing increased adoption. Cummins has delivered more than 39 gigawatts of power equipment to data centers and roughly doubled its production capacity this year. Though data centers traditionally keep generators as emergency backup systems, Paulette Carter, who leads data center operations at Cummins, notes they’re witnessing “growing interest in on-site primary power.” Energy Secretary Chris Wright has floated the idea of tapping existing backup generators to strengthen the electrical grid, telling Fox News in November: “We will take backup generators already at data centers or behind the back of a Walmart and bring those on when we need extra electricity production.” Higher costs for on-site power solutions On-site power costs appear higher than standard grid connections, since these arrangements lack the cost advantages that utilities gain from large-scale operations. BNP Paribas analysts calculated power prices at a behind-the-meter gas facility that Williams Company is constructing in Ohio for Meta at $175 per megawatt hour, roughly twice what industrial customers typically pay for electricity. The power rush may ease when major technology companies reduce their infrastructure spending. “We’re in a very strong market right now, but it won’t stay like that forever,” said Mark Axford of Axford Turbine Consultants. Join Bybit now and claim a $50 bonus in minutes