xAI Installed 59 Unpermitted Gas Turbines for Colossus 2 Data Center

Rappler reported that xAI installed 59 natural gas turbines for its Colossus 2 data center project without securing federal clean air permits. At least 57 of the turbines sit in Southaven, Mississippi, across the state line from the data center in Memphis, Tennessee. The turbines support Colossus 2, which runs the Grok chatbot and other AI systems.

XAI previously stated it was running 27 unpermitted turbines as of January 2026. Mississippi regulators issued a permit in March 2026 allowing construction of 41 permanent gas-fired turbines three weeks after the state's only public hearing. Rappler reported that 30 turbines with available emissions data could emit nearly 2,500 short tons of nitrogen oxide, 4,000 short tons of carbon monoxide and 22 short tons of formaldehyde annually at 80 percent capacity.

These levels exceed the Clean Air Act threshold of 100 short tons per year that triggers federal permitting. In 27 of 28 census tracts within five miles of the Southaven site, estimated asthma rates exceed countywide figures.

Within five miles in DeSoto County, Mississippi, 46 percent of residents are Black compared with 33 percent countywide. The NAACP and Southern Environmental Law Center filed a lawsuit against xAI in April 2026 seeking to halt turbine operations under the Clean Air Act.

The U.S. Justice Department stated on June 15, 2026, that restricting the turbines could threaten national security because xAI systems support U.S. military operations including those involving Iran.

The turbines are audible around the clock in Southaven's Colonial Hills neighborhood. Resident Ervin Laws said the noise wakes him at night and that he cannot stop it because Musk has more money. Resident Sarah Gladney, 72, said she fears continuous xAI expansion driven by money rather than community health.