NAACP Launches Clean Air Lawsuit Over xAI ‘Colossus’ Data Center

The NAACP, with legal support from Earthjustice and the Southern Environmental Law Center, has initiated a lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI Corp. and its subsidiary MZX Tech. Filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, the complaint accuses the companies of violating the federal Clean Air Act by installing and operating a 27-turbine gas plant in Southaven, Mississippi, without the required air permits. This gas plant, known as Colossus 2, is intended to power xAI's data center, which supports its AI chatbot Grok and is located in Memphis, Tennessee. However, the turbines themselves are situated in Southaven, Mississippi, in close proximity to communities of color. The NAACP's lawsuit claims these turbines have the potential to emit significant levels of smog-forming nitrogen oxides, fine particulate matter, and carcinogenic formaldehyde. The complaint further alleges that xAI began operating the combustion turbines on August 1, 2025. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) reportedly exempted these turbines from permitting requirements, classifying them as "mobile" and temporary. However, the lawsuit argues that the MDEQ lacks the authority to grant such exemptions for sources subject to the Clean Air Act's permitting stipulations. The NAACP is seeking penalties of up to $124,400 per day for each violation and a court order to prevent xAI and MZX Tech from continuing to emit what it describes as illegal air pollution that harms its members in Mississippi.