Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI is allegedly worsening a serious smog problem in Memphis, Tennessee, through the unauthorized use of gas turbines at its new data center, environmental advocates say.
The Southern Environmental Law Center wrote this week to the local health department and regional Environmental Protection Agency office urging regulators to probe the allegedly permitless turbine use and their pollution, according to CNBC.
The letter sent on behalf of local groups reportedly says Musk’s company “has installed at least 18 gas combustion turbines over the last several months (with more potentially on the way).” It also claims the turbines’ combined capacity could power roughly 50,000 homes.
The billionaire founded xAI last year with the goal of understanding “the true nature of the universe.” It’s since launched Grok—a chatbot that is supposed to be more humorous than its main rival, OpenAI’s ChatGPT—which has been accused of spreading false information about the 2024 presidential election and allowing users to make images that would fall foul of some similar products’ content moderation filters.
AI models typically need large amounts of power for processing and data training. In their letter, the environmental advocates said xAI’s data center “requires an enormous amount of electricity,” according to CNBC.
The letter also reportedly claims the facility’s 18 turbines emit nitrogen oxides—air pollutants that contribute to an enduring smog issue in Shelby County, where Memphis is located. The American Lung Association gives the county an “F” grade in its “State of the Air” rankings.
The turbines could emit up to around 130 tons of nitrogen oxides every year, which would allegedly make them the ninth-biggest source of the pollutants in the U.S., the letter says.
Tennessee businesses usually require permits to run the kind of turbines being used by xAI, CNBC reports. The permits specify acceptable emission limits, efficiency requirements, and would further mandate air quality tests.
“The overarching concern remains that there has been very little transparency and opportunity for public input for the xAI project,” Amanda Garcia, a senior attorney with the Tennessee office of the Southern Environmental Law Center, told CNBC. She added that there is also concern that it’s “already having significant health and environmental impact on the surrounding community.”
Neither the EPA office covering Memphis or xAI answered CNBC’s requests for comment.
The environmental impact of Musk’s companies has previously come under scrutiny. An analysis of satellite imagery recently concluded that about 500,000 trees were cut down to build Tesla’s new gigafactory outside Berlin in Germany, while SpaceX rocket launches have reportedly damaged wildlife habitats and carpeted homes and vehicles with a layer of grime.
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