Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI has installed 59 natural gas turbines for its Colossus 2 data center in Tennessee without federal clean air permits. The turbines are located near predominantly Black communities already suffering high rates of lung disease.
According to a Reuters analysis, potential emissions from the turbines far exceed the threshold requiring a federal permit. The findings highlight how exploding electricity demand from AI data centers is outpacing environmental oversight.
The number of unpermitted turbines is double what xAI publicly acknowledged. The company argues the permits are not required, as the turbines are "mobile" and temporary.
Civil rights groups, including the NAACP, have sued xAI, arguing the turbines are a major Clean Air Act violation polluting homes and schools. The U.S. Justice Department has intervened, stating that restricting the turbines could threaten national security.
A Reuters analysis of government data found that residents living within five miles of the facility are disproportionately Black. In one Tennessee census tract near the site, 94 percent of residents are Black.
The nitrogen oxide emissions calculated for part of the plant would rank it among the top 25 U.S. gas power plants for such pollution. Experts warn this exacerbates public health issues in a community already facing high asthma rates.