Civil Rights Group Demands xAI Address Alleged Clean Air Act Violations

Elon Musk's xAI faces legal pressure as civil rights groups allege the company operates 26 unpermitted gas turbines at its Memphis supercomputer site. Thermal images contradict xAI's claims that the turbines were non-operational, showing active emissions in Boxtown—a neighborhood with cancer rates four times the national average.

The NAACP, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, warns uncontrolled turbines could emit 2,000 tons of nitrogen oxides annually. "We cannot afford to normalize environmental injustice," states NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson. xAI has 60 days to install pollution controls or face litigation under the Clean Air Act.

The case highlights growing scrutiny of AI infrastructure's environmental impact. Data centers powering AI systems consume massive electricity, with projections suggesting they'll account for nearly half of global data center energy use.