Overview

• xAI has installed at least 35 methane turbines at its Memphis data center without securing required air quality permits, with thermal imaging indicating 33 are in use.
• The Shelby County Health Department is reviewing xAI's permit application for 15 turbines and will hold a public hearing to gather community input.
• Residents in South Memphis, a historically Black area with elevated rates of asthma and cancer, are raising concerns about disproportionate health impacts from pollution.
• Anonymous fliers distributed in the area falsely claimed the turbines are low-emission and regulated by federal and local agencies, both of which deny issuing permits.
• Elon Musk’s xAI plans to expand its Memphis facility, recently acquiring a 1-million-square-foot property, further raising concerns about environmental oversight.