AI’s Power Crunch Has Jet Engines Joining the Grid—and Crypto’s Energy Story

AI data-center developers are turning to used gas turbines, refurbished equipment and aircraft-engine technology as new power-generation systems take an average of six years to deliver in the United States, according to energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Delivery discussions are already focused on 2030 and 2031, creating a timeline mismatch with the rapid expansion of AI computing facilities.

Global turbine orders have topped 100 gigawatts, compared with manufacturers’ estimated annual capacity of just 60 to 70 gigawatts, Reuters reported. Siemens Energy, GE Vernova and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have said orders are outpacing what they can produce. The International Energy Agency expects global data-center electricity consumption to nearly double from 485 terawatt-hours in 2025 to 950 in 2030, while consumption at AI-focused facilities is projected to triple over the same period.

Crusoe, an AI infrastructure firm, ordered 13 aeroderivative turbines from Missouri-based ProEnergy in April, each rated at 50 megawatts, for a combined 650 megawatts. The jet-engine-derived equipment is intended for future U.S. data centers, but the contract does not mean Crusoe bought engines removed from retired aircraft. Used turbines in good condition sell for about $1.5 million to $1.7 million per megawatt, compared with roughly $2 million to $2.5 million for new units, according to equipment brokers and energy analysts interviewed by Reuters.

One broker described a sale of two smaller turbines totaling 29 megawatts for $12.5 million. Equivalent new equipment would have cost about $35 million and taken five years to arrive, he said. “That secondary market is very, very hot right now,” EthosEnergy CEO Ana Amicarella told Reuters, adding that asking prices are climbing as more buyers compete for the same machinery.

The equipment shift comes as data-center developers weigh fuel needs, air emissions and permitting requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency says stationary turbines and engines used by data centers are subject to federal air-pollution standards.