Elon Musk’s xAI has nearly doubled its use of methane-burning generators at a Memphis facility without required permits, drawing public outcry and legal warnings.
Dara Kerr reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- A local advocacy group says xAI is using 35 methane gas turbines at its Memphis facility, despite applying for permits for only 15.
- The Southern Environmental Law Center warns the unpermitted generators violate the Clean Air Act and emit harmful pollutants near historically Black neighborhoods.
- Residents are demanding action, citing health risks and a history of industrial pollution in the area.
Key quote:
“xAI has essentially built a power plant in South Memphis with no oversight, no permitting, and no regard for families living in nearby communities.”
— Amanda Garcia, senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
Why this matters:
The unchecked expansion of energy-hungry AI infrastructure is colliding with long-standing environmental justice concerns in Memphis, where industrial pollution has already harmed residents for decades.xAI’s use of unpermitted methane gas turbines in a predominantly Black neighborhood already suffering elevated cancer and asthma rates raises alarms about regulatory gaps and the consequences of rapid AI development. What’s happening in Memphis reflects a broader, and increasingly urgent, question: who pays the price for artificial intelligence? As massive data centers are rolled out at record speed — often in places with cheap power and minimal oversight — the environmental and health risks are frequently pushed onto communities with the least capacity to resist.
Read more: Musk’s AI facility in Memphis accused of polluting Black neighborhoods
