xAI built an illegal power plant to power its data center

xAI, a tech company founded by Elon Musk, has built an illegal power plant with 27 unpermitted gas turbines to power its Colossus 2 data center in Southaven, Mississippi. The turbines emit pollution like smog, soot, and hazardous chemicals, and could become the largest industrial source of nitrogen oxides in the Memphis metro area, which already struggles with air quality issues. The Southern Environmental Law Center, Earthjustice, and the NAACP are preparing to sue xAI for violating the Clean Air Act. This is not the first time xAI has built an unpermitted power plant to run its data centers in the region, despite public opposition and threats of legal action.