EPA Rules that xAI’s Natural Gas Generators Were Illegally Used
xAI violated EPA rules by running unpermitted natural gas turbines to power its Colossus AI data centers in Tennessee.
Matilda
EPA Rules that xAI’s Natural Gas Generators Were Illegally Used
xAI Fined for Illegal Natural Gas Generators in Tennessee In a landmark enforcement action, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ruled that Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, illegally operated dozens of natural gas–fueled turbines to power its massive Colossus data center complex in Memphis, Tennessee. The agency rejected xAI’s claim that the generators were “temporary” and therefore exempt from federal air quality regulations—delivering a sharp rebuke to one of the tech world’s most ambitious AI infrastructure projects. The decision, finalized Thursday after more than a year of investigation, confirms what environmental advocates and local residents had long alleged: that xAI bypassed permitting requirements while contributing to pollution in an already overburdened region. Credit: Brandon Dill for The Washington Post / Getty Images The ruling carries significant implications not just for xAI, but for the broader AI industry racing to build energy-intensive…
