Data centers are buying old jet engines to get power faster

Companies that build data centers are buying old jet engines to make their own electricity. According to the New York Times, US data center operators and power developers are repurposing the engines to get power in as little as two years. The other path is waiting years for a connection to the main electric grid.

What changed

Data centers are the large buildings full of computers that run apps, websites and online storage. They need a lot of steady power. Connecting to the grid can take several years, and some builders are not willing to wait. Reusing jet engines gives them a faster way to produce power on their own.

The engines come from retired planes. Across wide stretches of the Sonoran desert in Arizona, thousands of retired aircraft sit nose-to-tail in graveyards of mothballed jets.

Who it affects

Most people will never see one of these engines. The effect shows up in the services you use. When power is hard to get, new data centers are delayed, and that can slow the online tools people and businesses rely on. It can also push up costs. Quick fixes like this may shape what you pay.

What is not known yet

• How many engines are being used, and by which companies.
• What the power costs compared with the grid.
• How the engines are run, fueled and kept within local rules.
• Whether the two-year timeline holds up in practice.

The material available describes the trend and the two-year figure, which some operators say they can reach. It does not give details on cost, scale or environmental impact, so those questions remain open.