Colorado aerospace company thinks it has solution for growing energy crisis due to data centers

A Colorado aerospace company thinks it may have found the solution to the country's growing energy crisis surrounding data centers, and it involves natural gas and one of their engines.

Thursday Boom Supersonic in Centennial unveiled its jet engine core. It will eventually be for the supersonic airliner it wants to build.

"We want this airplane as soon as superhumanly possible," founder/CEO Blake Scholl told CBS Colorado.

But, in the meantime, the aerospace company thinks it has found a new use for it — powering AI data centers. Scholl says it all started when he texted AI entrepreneur Sam Altman.

"And I remember texting him and saying, 'Hey, Sam, this stuff I'm reading in the press about there being a power crisis, is that real? If we made a power turbine, would that be of relevance for AI?' And he responded right away and basically said, 'Yes, please, as many as you can, make as fast as you can,'" Scholl said.

Scholl says, by powering his turbines with natural gas on the back of flatbed trucks, the company will be able to generate enough power to run data centers, hospitals and other large electricity users. And he claims it will all be done without causing problems for data-center neighbors.

"So, the AI data center will be able to create its own electricity, do it completely waterless, and it's also going to be quiet," Scholl said.  "Let's remember this turbine was built by the same team that made Sonic Boom go away entirely."

School says he already has customers lining up to purchase these generators. The only problem is they don't have the staff to build them. So Boom is hiring 500 people as soon as possible to fulfill the mission.

"If 500 amazing people showed up at our front porch tomorrow, we would say welcome to all," Scholl said.

Scholl says this allows Boom to not only provide energy to data centers but also will give the company an opportunity to test its engines in the real world, which brings Boom one step closer to building the planes it wants to build.

"Sometimes, you wait one to five, 10 years to get electricity that you really need right away," Scholl said. "So we're going to help solve that problem. And then that turns into the world's most tested new jet engine."

The first power generator is slated to be delivered in 2027. The company says it plans to have planes in 2030.