DOJ: xAI's Unpermitted Turbines Vital for National Security

DOJ claims xAI's unpermitted gas turbines are vital for national security, citing military operations.

The Department of Justice has sided with xAI in a lawsuit filed by the NAACP, which seeks to halt the company's use of unpermitted natural gas turbines. The DOJ argues that if the NAACP prevails, it would undermine "American national, economic, and energy security" by impacting AI innovation supporting military operations, including recent strikes. The lawsuit targets xAI's use of 57 trailer-mounted gas turbines at its Colossus and Colossus 2 data centers near Memphis.

xAI claims these turbines are exempt from Mississippi air pollution regulations for one year because they remain on trailers. However, the Southern Environmental Law Center, representing the NAACP, contends this violates federal law, which can classify trailer-mounted turbines as stationary and thus subject to regulation. The NAACP states the region, already highly polluted, has seen worse air quality since xAI's data centers became operational, with increased PM2.5, formaldehyde, and oxides of nitrogen (NOx).

These pollutants are linked to various health issues, including asthma, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. xAI, a division of SpaceX, plans to acquire an additional $2.8 billion worth of gas turbines, with at least $2 billion earmarked for "mobile gas turbines," to power its AI data centers over the next three years.

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