Elon Musk’s xAI has been granted permission to operate a large cluster of methane gas turbines to power its Southaven, Mississippi, datacenter. The decision by the state’s environmental board allows the “Colossus 2” facility to use 41 turbines, nearly doubling its previous capacity. The permit was issued on Tuesday following months of heated debate regarding the site’s environmental impact.
The gas-powered turbines are a critical component of xAI’s strategy to power its massive AI supercomputers. These arrays of advanced chips are used to train and run Grok, the artificial intelligence model owned by Musk. Because traditional utility infrastructure often cannot keep up with AI energy demands, xAI built its own power plant on-site.
Community members and environmental groups like the NAACP have expressed deep disappointment with the MDEQ’s ruling. They argue that the state agency ignored the concerns of hundreds of residents who packed a public hearing last month. Many locals describe the facility as an unwanted industrial intrusion that has brought noise and pollution to their doorstep.
The facility’s emissions are a primary concern, as they include formaldehyde and other chemicals linked to respiratory diseases. The Southern Environmental Law Center has warned that Colossus 2 will become one of the most significant sources of fossil fuel pollution in the area. This is particularly concerning given the existing poor air quality grades in the surrounding counties.
xAI’s presence in the region is growing, with three separate datacenters now in various stages of development or operation. The permit for Colossus 2 suggests that state regulators are willing to facilitate rapid tech growth despite local resistance. The future of the project may now hinge on the results of ongoing litigation by civil rights groups.