Data center operators turn retired jet engines into on-site power plants

Facing multi-year grid connection delays, US data centers and power developers are repurposing aircraft engines to generate electricity on-site in as little as two years, tapping Arizona's abundant supply of decommissioned planes.

First covered Nov 3, 2026 · 4:10 AM PT · 2 articles · no longer in the live window

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8d New York Times US data center operators and power developers are repurposing jet engines to secure power in as little as two years, bypassing multi-year grid-connection delays — Across wide stretches of the sun-bleached Sonoran desert in Arizona, thousands of retired aircraft sit nose-to-tail in graveyards of metal known as boneyards.

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Appeared in: 2026-11-03 (#3) · 2026-11-04 (#8)

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Data center operators turn retired jet engines into on-site power plants

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