Key facts
- New gas turbines take an average of six years to deliver in the US, per Wood Mackenzie, with talks focused on 2030 and 2031.
- Global turbine orders exceed 100 gigawatts against estimated annual manufacturing capacity of 60 to 70 gigawatts, Reuters reported.
- Used turbines in good condition sell for about $1.5 million to $1.7 million per megawatt, versus roughly $2 million to $2.5 million new, per brokers and analysts.
- One broker described selling two smaller turbines totaling 29 megawatts for $12.5 million; equivalent new equipment would have cost about $35 million and taken five years, he said.
- Cleanview identified about 90 gigawatts of proposed on-site generation at US data centers in its mid-2026 analysis, with only about 2 gigawatts operating at the time.
- The EPA says stationary turbines and engines used by data centers are subject to federal air-pollution standards.
AI data-center developers are buying used gas turbines and retired jet engines because ordering brand-new power equipment could leave their servers waiting for electricity until the next decade, according to Reuters. New gas turbines now take an average of six years to deliver in the United States, energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie said, and delivery discussions are already focused on 2030 and 2031.
Global turbine orders have topped 100 gigawatts, compared with manufacturers' estimated annual capacity of 60 to 70 gigawatts, Reuters reported. Siemens Energy, GE Vernova and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have all said orders are outpacing what they can produce. Gas turbines burn natural gas to spin equipment connected to a generator, and AI data centers need that power around the clock for densely packed chips and cooling systems.
One route around the backlog is the aeroderivative turbine, a generator built using technology adapted from aircraft jet engines. AI infrastructure firm Crusoe ordered 13 units from Missouri-based ProEnergy in April, each rated at 50 megawatts, for a combined 650 megawatts, intended for future U.S. data centers. The contract does not mean Crusoe bought engines removed from retired aircraft.
Second-hand machines can carry a substantial discount. Used turbines in good condition sell for about $1.5 million to $1.7 million per megawatt, compared with roughly $2 million to $2.5 million for new units, according to equipment brokers and energy analysts interviewed by Reuters. One broker described a sale of two smaller turbines totaling 29 megawatts for $12.5 million; equivalent new equipment would have cost about $35 million and taken five years to arrive, he said.
"That secondary market is very, very hot right now," EthosEnergy CEO Ana Amicarella told Reuters, adding that asking prices are climbing as more buyers compete for the same machinery.
Building a power plant beside a data center also brings fuel needs, air emissions and permits into the equation. The Environmental Protection Agency says stationary turbines and engines used by data centers are subject to federal air-pollution standards. OpenAI promised to cover electricity and grid costs at future campuses it owns and operates after voters backed tighter restrictions on data-center construction.
Power-market research firm Cleanview identified about 90 gigawatts of proposed on-site generation at U.S. data centers in its mid-2026 analysis, with only about 2 gigawatts operating at the time. Finnish manufacturer Wärtsilä told Reuters it had booked around 3 gigawatts of orders from U.S. data centers since spring 2025 for generators powered by gas engines rather than turbines. The International Energy Agency expects global data-center electricity consumption to nearly double from 485 terawatt-hours in 2025 to 950 in 2030, with consumption at AI-focused facilities projected to triple over the same period.