xAI Expands Mississippi Plant Amid Air Permit Fight

In Southhaven, Mississippi, xAI has installed 19 additional natural gas turbines at its second data center campus, Colossus 2, between late March and early May. This brings the total operational turbines at the site to 46, with an estimated power output exceeding 500 megawatts since mid-March. The company is currently defending itself against a lawsuit filed by the NAACP, Southern Environmental Law Center, and Earthjustice. These organizations allege that xAI is operating a "personal power plant" in violation of the Clean Air Act, citing the use of more than two dozen natural gas turbines without necessary air permits. Officials from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) are reviewing the situation regarding the temporary turbines.

The lawsuit highlights that eight of the newly installed turbines, representing over 200 megawatts, were added after legal action commenced in April. This follows similar controversies at xAI's Colossus 1 site in Memphis, Tennessee, where gas turbines in a historically Black neighborhood faced criticism for alleged operation without permits. While regulators in both states suggest a one-year grace period for non-stationary turbines under the Clean Air Act, permits are eventually required. The MDEQ previously granted an air permit for 41 turbines at the Southaven site in March, though it remains unclear if the recently added turbines are covered by this permit.