AI data centres: Crusoe drops $1.25 billion worth of turbines
The AI data centre builder is cancelling its order of 29 turbines from start-up Boom Supersonic. A symptom of the question that dominates the sector: where to find the electricity?
- Crusoe cancels an order for 29 turbines ($1.25 billion) from Boom Supersonic.
- The Abilene, Texas site will rely on a mix of gas, solar, wind, batteries and the grid.
- Electricity remains the top challenge for AI data centres.
Crusoe, which builds data centres for artificial intelligence, has decided not to buy 29 turbines of 42 megawatts each from Boom Supersonic, an order worth $1.25 billion. The first deliveries were scheduled for 2027. The news was confirmed in September 2026 by Boom’s chief executive, Blake Scholl.
Why it matters
The turbines were meant to power Crusoe’s site in Abilene, Texas, on location. They are no longer among its main energy sources in the short term. The company says it chooses, site by site, between gas turbines, solar, wind, batteries and grid connection.
For Boom, known for its supersonic aircraft project, it means losing its first customer in energy, a business for which it had raised $300 million in 2025. It says it has other customers and is aiming for 250 megawatts of deliveries in 2027.
The episode is a reminder that the AI race is also a race for electricity: the data centres that train large models consume as much as a city, and every project must first find its energy source.
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