Musk’s xAI wins permit for datacenter’s makeshift power plant despite backlash

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Dara KerrMarch 10, 2026 at 10:15 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Elon Musk's xAI received approval from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to operate 41 methane gas turbines at its "Colossus 2" datacenter in Southaven, Mississippi. The turbines will power xAI's AI supercomputers, which support its AI tool Grok. This decision follows significant public opposition due to concerns about air and noise pollution from the unpermitted turbines already in operation. Residents and environmental advocates, including the NAACP, argue the gas generators will worsen air quality and increase health risks. The NAACP has an existing lawsuit against xAI over pollution concerns. xAI also has datacenters in Memphis, Tennessee, and is building another in Southaven.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Tennessee 40% Memphis 40% Nathan Reed 50% National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) ×260% Abre' Conner ×260% Mississippi ×270% Southaven ×370% Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) ×680% Colossus 2 ×380% Elon Musk 90% xAI ×10100%

Keywords

datacenter 100% air pollution 90% methane gas turbines 80% environmental impact 70% community opposition 70% environmental quality 60% hazardous chemicals 50% artificial intelligence 50% electricity demand 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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datacenter air pollution methane gas turbines environmental impact community opposition environmental quality hazardous chemicals artificial intelligence electricity demand

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