Apparatus and methods for heating pre-combustor air in a gas turbine engine are disclosed. In one embodiment, a gas turbine engine configured for heating the pre-combustor air comprises a compressor for pressurizing air received in the gas turbine engine; an electric heater configured to heat the compressed air; a combustor in which the heated compressed air is received, mixed with fuel and ignited for generating combustion gas; and a turbine for extracting energy from the combustion gas. Joule heating may be used to heat the compressed air upstream of the combustor.