SpaceX won’t remove all of xAI’s unpermitted turbines for another year

Core Impact Points

• SpaceX acquired xAI in February and plans to buy $2.8 billion worth of gas turbines for its data centers over the next three years.
• The company claims it is allowed to operate the existing turbines without permits because they remain on the trailers they were shipped on.
• However, federal regulations say that the turbines xAI has been using require permits due to their size and usage, potentially emitting over 2,000 tons of smog-forming NOx per year.
• The new power plant that SpaceX is building will consist of 41 gas turbines, but it's unclear if these will replace the existing turbines or be used for another project.
• The NAACP and Southern Environmental Law Center have sued xAI over the use of unpermitted turbines, and the Department of Justice sided with SpaceX in the lawsuit.
• The region around Memphis is one of the most polluted in the US, and the use of gas turbines has raised concerns about air quality and public health.