AI data centers turn to converted jet engines amid grid delays

Key points

• Converted jet engines, rebuilt to burn natural gas, let some AI data centers make their own power while grid waits stretch for years.
• Rystad Energy's Audun Martinsen says a jet-powered unit can have a data center running in 24 months.
• Connecting 100 megawatts to the grid in Northern Virginia takes about seven years, according to the International Energy Agency.
• The engines are less efficient and pollute more than conventional gas turbines, so experts see them as a possible short-term option.

Why it matters for marketers: Content teams covering AI infrastructure should expect faster power-timeline stories and scrutiny of efficiency and emissions claims tied to these builds.