xAI Adds 19 Gas Turbines at Mississippi Facility Amid Lawsuit
Original: xAI Adds 16 New Gas Turbines at Mississippi Facility Despite Ongoing Lawsuit
Why This Matters
Highlights regulatory challenges for AI companies' massive energy needs and environmental justice concerns
Elon Musk's xAI added 19 natural gas turbines to its Southhaven, Mississippi data center between March and May 2026, bringing the total to 46 turbines generating over 500 megawatts, despite an ongoing lawsuit alleging Clean Air Act violations.
Internal emails obtained by WIRED show xAI installed 19 portable gas turbines at its Colossus 2 site in Southhaven, Mississippi, between late March and early May 2026. The additions bring the total to 46 turbines with over 500 megawatts capacity. Eight turbines were installed after the NAACP filed a lawsuit in April alleging xAI operates a 'personal power plant' without proper air permits, violating the Clean Air Act. Mississippi regulators say portable turbines can operate for one year without permits. The expansion follows criticism of xAI's Memphis facility in the historically Black Boxtown neighborhood, which received local permits in July despite community opposition.