Trump DOJ supports Musk-owned data center in suit by NAACP
The Trump Justice Department is supporting xAI in a lawsuit filed by the NAACP, which alleges xAI is operating a gas plant for its data centers on the Tennessee-Mississippi border without proper environmental permits. The DOJ argues that xAI's AI models and data centers are crucial for national security and the lawsuit should be dismissed. Local residents have also filed a public nuisance lawsuit against xAI and its parent company SpaceX.
The Trump administration, through the Justice Department, has urged a federal court in Mississippi to dismiss an environmental lawsuit filed by the NAACP against Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup, xAI. The lawsuit alleges that xAI has illegally operated and expanded its Colossus Gas Plant, which powers its data centers near the Tennessee-Mississippi border, without required permits or pollution controls under the Clean Air Act. The DOJ argued that the continued operation of xAI's Grok government model and its supporting data centers is a "matter of paramount national security," essential for military operations and keeping pace with adversaries, and that the White House's policy of promoting AI infrastructure should be prioritized over private environmental suits.
U.S. District Judge Debra Brown is presiding over the case, which also names xAI subsidiary MZX Tech as a defendant. Separately, xAI and its parent company SpaceX are facing a public nuisance lawsuit from local residents who claim the power plant's noise negatively impacts their health and property values. This intervention by the Trump administration aligns with a February POLITICO Poll indicating fluctuating public support for data centers, particularly when associated with former President Trump. The EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, recently stated the agency would not set nationwide environmental requirements for data centers.