From Flight to Light: How Aircraft Engines Are Powering the AI Datacenter Boom

The Unprecedented Energy Demands of AI

The artificial intelligence revolution is creating an energy crisis that few could have predicted. As AI models grow exponentially in size and complexity, their computational hunger is driving unprecedented electricity demands across global datacenter operations. This surge has created a perfect storm where traditional power infrastructure simply cannot keep pace with the explosive growth in AI computing requirements.

The Unprecedented Energy Demands of AI
The Gas Turbine Shortage Crisis
Aircraft Engines: The Unconventional Solution
Broader Implications for Energy Infrastructure
The Future of Datacenter Power Management

According to recent industry analysis, US datacenters are projected to consume 22 percent more grid power by the end of 2025 compared to the previous year. This staggering increase has overwhelmed many regional energy grids, forcing datacenter operators to explore alternative power generation solutions to keep their AI systems running.

The Gas Turbine Shortage Crisis

The sudden pivot to on-site power generation has exposed a critical bottleneck in the supply chain for gas turbines. Three manufacturers—Japan’s MHI, Germany’s Siemens, and GE Vernova—dominate approximately two-thirds of the global market for electricity-generating turbines. All three are reporting unprecedented demand that far exceeds their manufacturing capacity.

An executive from MHI recently confirmed the severity of the situation, stating plainly: “There’s so much demand right now that we can’t meet it all.” The consequences are stark: customers now face waiting periods of up to three years for standard turbine deliveries, with some larger models requiring up to five years., according to according to reports

The shortage has become so acute that manufacturers have begun implementing non-refundable reservation fees, with one developer reportedly paying $25 million just to secure a 2030 delivery slot from GE Vernova. This supply constraint is creating ripple effects across global energy markets, particularly impacting developing regions in Southeast Asia where energy infrastructure development is crucial for economic growth.

Aircraft Engines: The Unconventional Solution

In response to this critical shortage, innovative companies are looking to the skies for solutions. US-based ProEnergy has pioneered the repurposing of commercial aircraft engines to serve as temporary power generators for datacenters. The company specializes in acquiring and refurbishing General Electric CF6 engines—the same powerplants that have propelled commercial airliners for decades—and converting them from thrust producers to electricity generators.

These adapted jet engines, marketed as PE6000 turbines, are already being deployed to provide power during datacenter construction phases and initial operational years. When grid power eventually becomes available, these mobile power units can be transitioned to backup roles, used to supplement grid supply during peak demand, or resold to other facilities facing similar power challenges.

Broader Implications for Energy Infrastructure

The gas turbine shortage highlights deeper structural issues in how we plan for and accommodate rapid technological shifts. While diesel generators remain the traditional fallback for emergency power, they face increasing regulatory pressure and environmental concerns. More exotic solutions like fuel cells or colocating with renewable energy sources present their own implementation challenges and limitations.

Some industry observers point to small modular reactors (SMRs) as a potential long-term solution, but these nuclear technologies remain years away from commercial viability and widespread deployment. In the interim, the aircraft engine solution represents a creative stopgap that leverages existing technology and supply chains to address an immediate crisis.

The situation also underscores the importance of flexible, adaptive energy strategies for technology companies. As noted in a recent IEEFA report, the turbine shortage is causing significant delays and cost increases for power projects globally, forcing developers to reconsider their approach to energy security.

The Future of Datacenter Power Management

This unconventional approach to power generation reflects a broader trend toward innovative energy solutions in the technology sector. From datacenters integrated directly with wind farms to advanced battery storage systems and now repurposed aircraft engines, the industry is demonstrating remarkable flexibility in overcoming infrastructure limitations.

The aircraft engine solution offers several advantages beyond simply addressing the turbine shortage:

Proven reliability from decades of aviation service
Rapid deployment compared to traditional power infrastructure
Scalable power output that can match growing datacenter demands
Reusability across multiple projects and locations

As AI continues to drive unprecedented energy demands, such creative approaches to power management may become increasingly common, transforming not just how we compute, but how we power that computation in an energy-constrained world.