Companies racing to build new data centers are increasingly turning to jet engine based turbines and diesel generators to keep up with soaring electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence. Lengthy grid connection delays, supply chain bottlenecks, and public resistance to power-hungry facilities are pushing operators to generate electricity directly on site, as reported by The Financial Times.
In many regions, data center developers now face waits of up to seven years to secure a grid connection. That delay has become incompatible with the pace of AI deployment, where access to power can determine whether a facility is commercially viable. As a result, alternative power technologies that can be deployed quickly have suddenly become attractive. According to Kasparas Spokas of the Clean Air Task Force, the incentives have never been stronger for any technology capable of supplying immediate power.
Jet engine derived turbines are emerging as one of the fastest solutions. GE Vernova has agreed to supply aircraft based turbines to data center operator Crusoe for its Stargate project in Texas. The site, which will serve OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, is expected to generate close to one gigawatt of electricity using these systems. GE Vernova has told investors that demand for its aircraft derived turbines has grown sharply, with orders up by roughly one third in the first nine months of 2025.
Other suppliers are seeing similar momentum. ProEnergy has delivered more than one gigawatt of power using turbines adapted from jet engines originally designed for aircraft such as the Boeing 747. Its backer, Energy Capital Partners, says the ability to quickly deploy a few hundred megawatts and then scale over time is particularly appealing to data center developers.
Even aviation startups are getting involved. Boom Supersonic, backed by Sam Altman, has struck a deal to sell turbines to Crusoe that could deliver around 1.2 gigawatts of power. The turbines are closely related to those intended for Boom’s aircraft, and the company plans to use profits from energy sales to fund jet development.
Diesel and gas generators are also playing a larger role. Cummins has supplied more than 39 gigawatts of power equipment to data centers and has roughly doubled its production capacity this year. While generators were once mainly reserved for emergency backup, Cummins says operators are now exploring them as primary on-site power sources.
This shift comes at a cost. Analysts estimate that behind-the-meter power can cost roughly twice as much as conventional grid electricity. Still, for AI driven data centers facing years-long delays, the premium is increasingly seen as the price of staying operational. Industry consultants caution that the current surge may cool if technology companies eventually rein in infrastructure spending, but for now, jet engines and generators are becoming an unlikely backbone of the AI era.
