DOJ Defends xAI’s Gas Turbines Amidst Legal Battle

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has come out in support of xAI in a recent legal battle over the company's use of dozens of unpermitted natural gas turbines near its Memphis data centers. According to Wired, the DOJ claims that stopping these turbines would undermine 'American national, economic, and energy security' by shutting down vital AI operations.

The lawsuit was initially filed in April by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which argued that xAI's practice of using mobile gas turbines at its Colossus and Colossus 2 data centers violates Mississippi air pollution regulations. The NAACP claims that these turbines, despite being on trailers, are still subject to federal laws requiring stationary generators to be regulated.

Elon Musk's AI company has since added more turbines, bringing the total to 57. Because of this, xAI argues that its current setup is exempt from Mississippi air pollution rules for one year. However, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) and the NAACP dispute this claim, pointing out that the region, already one of the most polluted in the country, has seen a worsening of air quality since xAI's data centers went online.

Since last year, the number of turbines at the data centers has more than doubled. This increase is linked to a corresponding rise in three major air pollutants: PM2.5, formaldehyde, and oxides of nitrogen (NOx). These pollutants have been tied to various health issues ranging from asthma and stroke to Alzheimer's disease and cancer.

Despite the legal battle, xAI remains committed to its AI operations, with SpaceX (now a division of xAI) planning to purchase more generators in the coming months. In SpaceX's IPO filing, it was revealed that the company intends to buy an additional $2.8 billion worth of gas turbines over the next three years, with at least $2 billion earmarked for 'mobile gas turbines.'