xAI Installs 19 More Gas Turbines Amid Lawsuit

xAI placed 19 natural gas turbines at its second data center in Southaven, Mississippi, during the last two months. Internal emails reviewed by reporters confirm this expansion at the Colossus 2 facility. The move occurs while the company faces a lawsuit from the NAACP and environmental organizations over air quality issues.

The lawsuit claims xAI operates more than two dozen gas turbines without proper air permits, breaching the Clean Air Act. Emails from a Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality official to a Trinity Consultants representative, obtained through a public records request by the Southern Environmental Law Center, detail the installations from late March to early May.

Details of the Turbine Additions

A spreadsheet in one email lists the megawatt capacity for each turbine under a column called "Total Power Output." Records indicate xAI added more than 500 megawatts of gas turbine capacity since mid-March. Natural gas combustion produces emissions that contribute to climate change and poor air quality. Neither MDEQ nor xAI officials replied to requests for comment. Mississippi Today first covered the new turbines at Colossus 2.

MDEQ spokesperson Jan Schaefer stated to Mississippi Today, "As indicated by the facility, all portable/temporary turbines are equipped with control technology to minimize emissions." Schaefer added, "MDEQ is evaluating the situation and will make the facility aware as to when it can no longer bring additional portable/temporary turbines on-site."

Lawsuit and Recent Developments

In April, the NAACP joined the Southern Environmental Law Center and Earthjustice in suing xAI. The groups accused the company of running a "personal power plant" with 27 gas turbines lacking required permits. SELC attorney Ben Grillot noted his team spotted six extra turbines via drone in April. The emails later revealed 19 additions, with eight of them, over 200 megawatts, installed post-lawsuit filing.

Grillot called the expansions "absolutely crazy." Last week, the NAACP sought an emergency injunction to halt Colossus 2 turbines. xAI countered that the data centers, vital for U.S. government AI tools and millions of users, would shut down without the temporary power.

Both Colossus sites connect to local grids but rely heavily on onsite gas turbines. Legal documents state the original 27 turbines provide 495 megawatts, enough for 400,000 homes.

Background on Colossus Sites and Permits

Colossus 1, across the border in Memphis, Tennessee's Boxtown neighborhood, drew 2024 backlash for unpermitted turbines. Boxtown, a historically Black area, struggles with air pollution. Regulators in Tennessee and Mississippi allow one year of operation for non-stationary turbines without permits under the Clean Air Act.

Memphis health officials approved Colossus 1 permits last July despite protests. In March, MDEQ permitted 41 turbines at Southaven amid outcry. SELC claims the 27 sued turbines and recent additions fall outside this permit. xAI and MDEQ did not clarify coverage. Drone video and records from Floodlight show turbines running pre-permit.

xAI, founded by Elon Musk, builds massive GPU clusters for AI training. Colossus represents one of the largest such systems. On the day of the injunction request, Anthropic agreed to use all Colossus 1 resources. Musk posted on X that SpaceXAI training, following this year's SpaceX-xAI merger, shifted to Colossus 2. Anthropic did not comment.

NAACP environmental justice director Abre' Conner said in a statement, "Any company that disregards the obvious environmental and health concerns of Black communities to supposedly power a future that will help us all is sending a clear message about who it intends to serve in that future." She continued, "As we have done since xAI forced its way into Memphis, we will continue to stand with the communities most impacted by these decisions."

xAI continues operations as legal and regulatory reviews proceed.

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