Key facts
- Elon Musk's AI company xAI installed 59 natural gas turbines for its Colossus 2 data center in Tennessee.
- The turbines were installed without federal clean air permits.
- The majority of turbines are located in Mississippi, near the Tennessee data center.
- Emissions from the turbines could disproportionately impact nearby predominantly Black communities.
- These communities already face high rates of lung disease.
- Civil rights groups have sued xAI, alleging Clean Air Act violations.
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, has installed 59 natural gas turbines for its Colossus 2 data center in Tennessee without securing federal clean air permits. Communications reviewed by Reuters indicate that potential emissions from these turbines far exceed the threshold requiring federal oversight.
At least 57 of these unpermitted turbines are located in Southaven, Mississippi, just across the state line from the Tennessee data center. The findings suggest that the AI boom's demand for electricity is outpacing environmental regulations, potentially posing significant public health risks. This situation is part of a broader environmental justice debate concerning the disproportionate pollution burdens placed on communities of color.
Civil rights organizations, including the NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center, filed a lawsuit in April to halt xAI's operations, arguing that the turbines' emissions are subject to the federal Clean Air Act and require permits. They contend that the operation of these turbines pollutes homes, schools, and churches in historically Black communities.
Mississippi regulators did issue a permit in March for 41 permanent gas-fired turbines for the project, following a public hearing. However, xAI has argued in court filings that the temporary turbines are exempt from federal permitting requirements because they are considered 'mobile' and intended for operation on-site for less than a year.