The post Data centers turn to jet engines and diesel generators as AI power needs surge appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

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…

---

Filed under: News - @ December 27, 2025 11:25 am