As AI infrastructure expands rapidly, data centers are consuming record amounts of electricity. While future energy solutions like nuclear fusion are still in development, the massive server farms of today are relying on a far more unexpected power source: retired airplane engines.
Jet engines turned into power generators
ProEnergy, based in Missouri, has started converting decommissioned aircraft engines into power generation units for data centers. The company uses modified General Electric CF6-80C2 high-bypass turbofan engine cores originally designed for Boeing 767 aircraft and turns them into stationary or mobile generators capable of supplying high-capacity server facilities.
Each converted engine can generate up to 48 megawatts of electricity, enough to power approximately 32,000 U.S. homes. This output is crucial for supporting AI clusters with massive processing demands. Speaking at the World Power show in San Antonio, ProEnergy’s VP of commercial operations, Landon Tessmer, said that 21 of these jet-engine-based generators have already been sold to data center operators.
These units are not just temporary solutions for construction phases. Once facilities become operational, they will continue serving as primary power sources and later transition into backup systems when grid connections are established.
The explosive growth of AI is putting unprecedented pressure on existing power infrastructure. In regions where utilities can’t keep up, repurposing old aviation engines is emerging as a fast and powerful solution. These unconventional generators are becoming a key part of how next-generation data centers meet their escalating energy needs.
