Advocacy groups threatened to sue xAI Friday over the company’s continued use of what the groups call un-permitted methane gas turbines in Mississippi.
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company installed 27 gas turbines in Southaven last year to power its second South Memphis data center, Colossus 2. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) said that the company did not get any permits before installing them or turning them on.
The turbines, the SELC said, pollute the air, emitting smog-forming pollution, fine particulate matter, and hazardous chemicals such as formaldehyde. These pollutants are tied to increases in asthma, respiratory diseases, heart problems, and certain cancers, the group said. The SELC and Earthjustice filed a notice of intent to sue Friday on behalf the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP.
“xAI has once again built a polluting power plant without any permits and without any notice to nearby communities,” SELC senior attorney Patrick Anderson said. “There are no loopholes or exceptions — xAI is breaking the law while leaving local communities to deal with the consequences, and we plan to take them to court.”
The company began operations at its first site, Colossus 1, in June 2024. It used as many as 35 unpermitted gas turbines to power the facility, the SELC said. The group said what they’re doing now in Southaven is a replica of that plan.
xAI is planning a second data center in Southaven. But the company has not said how they plan to power it.