Musk’s xAI wins permit for datacenter’s makeshift power plant despite backlash
Billionaire’s artificial intelligence company gets approval to run 41 methane gas turbines at its ‘Colossus 2’ in Mississippi
TL;DR
- xAI's "Colossus 2" datacenter in northern Mississippi has been approved to run 41 methane gas turbines, nearly doubling its operational capacity.
- The turbines are intended to power xAI's AI supercomputers, which support the AI tool Grok.
- The decision by the Mississippi department of environmental quality (MDEQ) faces significant public opposition due to concerns over hazardous air pollution.
- Residents and environmental advocates, including the NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center, criticize the MDEQ for allegedly rushing the decision and disregarding community concerns.
- Similar opposition was met at xAI's first datacenter in Memphis, Tennessee, where regulators granted a permit for 15 gas generators.
- The gas generators emit fine particulate matter containing hazardous chemicals linked to various diseases.
- The Southern Environmental Law Center anticipates the 41 turbines will make Colossus 2 a major fossil fuel power plant and polluter in Mississippi.