xAI's Data Centers Hit with Clean Air Complaint

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xAI's Data Centers in South Memphis Hit with Clean Air Complaint

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: June 19, 2025

Key Takeaways

Elon Musk's xAI is facing a Clean Air Act lawsuit over unpermitted gas turbines at its data center site in Memphis;
At least 35 turbines are said to be running without proper pollution controls or permits;
The NAACP said nearby Boxtown is being harmed and calls the case environmental racism.

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xAI's Data Centers in South Memphis Hit with Clean Air Complaint

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A data center in South Memphis, built by Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) company xAI, is facing legal action over how it uses power.

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) sent the company a 60-day warning letter on June 17, which stated that xAI may be sued for breaking the Clean Air Act.

The complaint focuses on the use of gas turbines at the "Colossus" site, which were set up before the facility was connected to the main electricity grid.

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The SELC filed the notice on behalf of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). They said xAI installed dozens of gas-powered turbines without getting the required air permits.

According to the NAACP, the turbines are releasing pollutants like nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde into the air.

The notice stated that xAI has run at least 35 turbines and other equipment that create air pollution. It also claims that the company did not use the best available tools to limit these emissions, which is required for large polluters under federal law.

The Colossus site is located near Boxtown, a mostly Black neighborhood already affected by poor air from nearby industries. The NAACP has called this an example of environmental racism and stated that it plans to continue pushing back.

Meanwhile, Disney and Universal recently took legal action against Midjourney, an AI image generation company. What happened? Read the full story.