Latest news with #MemphisCommunityAgainstPollution
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Elon Musk's xAI gets permit for methane gas generators
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI has been granted a permit to run methane gas generators at its massive data center in Memphis, Tennessee. The county health department approved the permit for the 15 machines late Wednesday, a move that has sparked outcry from the local community and environmental leaders, who say the generators pollute their neighborhoods. 'Our local leaders are entrusted with protecting us from corporations violating on our right to clean air, but we are witnessing their failure to do so,' said KeShaun Pearson, the director of the local environmental non-profit Memphis Community Against Pollution. xAI set up its massive data center in Memphis roughly a year ago. To supplement the facility's heavy power usage, the company brought in dozens of portable methane gas generators. xAI did not have a permit for the generators, which require municipal approval to deploy, but seemed to have found a loophole in the system that allowed it to use the turbines as long as they were not in the same location for more than 364 days. In January, xAI did apply for a permit for 15 generators – even though it had been running up to 35 generators on-site, according to photographs. After months of public forums and community protests, the Shelby county health department issued the permit. A satellite image that Memphis Community Against Pollution took on Tuesday and shared with the Guardian shows at least 24 turbines still set up at xAI's facility. 'xAI welcomes today's decision,' a company spokesperson said in a statement. 'Our onsite power generation will be equipped with state-of-the-art emissions control technology, making this facility the lowest emitting of its kind in the country.' Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion Environmental groups dispute whether xAI's power usage will actually be low emitting. The Southern Environmental Law Center has conducted studies on the pollution that the turbines emit and says they have the capacity to emit thousands of tons of harmful nitrogen oxides, along with toxic chemicals like formaldehyde. 'The decision to give xAI an air permit for its polluting gas turbines flies in the face of the hundreds of Memphians who spoke out against the company's permit request,' said Amanda Garcia, a senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center. She added that the health department is allowing 'another polluter to set up shop in this already overburdened community without appropriate protections'. xAI is in the industrial zone in Memphis, which is surrounded by several neighborhoods where residents have long dealt with pollution. This area is historically Black and has higher rates of respiratory diseases and asthma and a lower life expectancy than other parts of the city. Studies have shown these neighborhoods also have a cancer risk four times higher than the national average. The pollution coming out of xAI, along with its proximity to Black neighborhoods, has caught the attention of the NAACP civil rights group. It has initiated a lawsuit against xAI alleging the company is violating the Clean Air Act by illegally installing and operating the methane gas generators. 'While the NAACP is glad that 15 of xAI's turbines are now subject to greater transparency and accountability around their methane gas emissions … this decision ignores the community pushback,' Abre' Conner, the NAACP's director of environmental and climate justice, said in statement on Thursday. 'We are still committed to holding xAI and the Health Department accountable.'
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
xAI supercomputer in Memphis accused of violating federal law
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Elon Musk's xAI supercomputer site in Memphis continues to be a contentious topic of discussion, but now, a new report suggests the project could be breaking federal law. It's all over the use of methane gas turbines. A permit has been filed for xAI to bring in 15 turbines, but now we're learning the site is already using double the amount and didn't even notify the health department. FOR MORE ON xAI 'xAI is using 35, 35 methane gas burning turbines. They have submitted a permit to our Shelby County Health Department for 15, yet they are using over double that amount with no permit,' said Keshaun Pearson with Memphis Community Against Pollution. Pearson is referring to a new report from a coalition of conservation and community organizations. The report cites new aerial photos that appear to show the xAI supercomputer has nearly doubled the number of turbines at its South Memphis data center. New xAI data center generates concern over environmental impact They're urging the health department to take action because they say it violates the Clean Air Act. On Wednesday, Pearson along with many other community members of the Boxtown and 38109 area of the city voiced their concerns, urging Shelby County Commissioners to take action. 📡 for Memphis and the Mid-South. 📧 and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. Many were upset that the xAI Representative Brent Mayo was not in attendance as previously stated. 'As Brent Mayo's absence highlights the company and its owner Elon Musk have no appetite for or interest in hearing from the community members most affected by xAI's toxic and harmful presence,' said Kristine Fox, a concerned resident. During the meeting, we also learned that the health department's official public comment meeting has now been scheduled. It will take place on April 25 at Fairley High School. Of course, this is a developing story. We'll continue to keep you updated as we learn more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's xAI powering its facility in Memphis with ‘illegal' generators
KeShaun Pearson took a seat in front of the Shelby county board of commissioners in Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday morning. In the gallery behind him, a small group of people held up signs that said 'Our air = our lives' and 'Our water, Our future.' With a manner-of-fact demeanor, Pearson addressed the commissioners. 'I'm here because today we've learned that xAI is using 35 methane gas burning turbines,' said Pearson, who is the director of the advocacy group Memphis Community Against Pollution. 'They have submitted a permit to our Shelby county health department for 15, yet they are using double that amount with no permit.' It's been known that xAI, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, has been using around 15 portable generators to help power its massive supercomputer in Memphis without yet securing permits. But new aerial images obtained by the Southern Environmental Law Center show that number is now far higher. The group says these gas turbines combined can generate around 420MW of electricity, enough to power an entire city. 'xAI has essentially built a power plant in South Memphis with no oversight, no permitting, and no regard for families living in nearby communities,' Amanda Garcia, senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement. 'These dozens of gas turbines are doing significant harm to the air Memphians breathe every day.' Related: US senator introduces conflict of interest bill aimed at Elon Musk The 35 generators xAI is using are 'illegal' and a 'major source of air pollution', the law center wrote in a letter to the Shelby county health department on Wednesday. It says these high emission rates violate the Clean Air Act, including specified limits on toxic and carcinogenic pollution. Musk fired up his xAI facility in Memphis last summer. He calls the supercomputer 'Colossus' and it's tasked with providing compute power for xAI's chatbot Grok. The building that houses Colossus is the size of 13 football fields and Musk has said he plans to double that. Artificial intelligence requires an immense amount of energy to carry out computations and provide quick responses to user queries. For example, a query with ChatGPT needs nearly 10 times as much electricity as a typical Google search query, according to a report by Goldman Sachs. In the US, the majority of that electricity comes from burning fossil fuels like coal and gas, which are primary drivers of climate change. xAI already has contracts to draw 150MW of electricity from Memphis' local utility, which is enough to power 100,000 homes a year. But Musk has said he needs even more energy to deal with power fluctuation issues at the plant. When the first few methane gas generators appeared outside the xAI facility last summer, it caused a stir because the Shelby county health department and the Environmental Protection Agency said xAI wasn't using permits to run those generators. It appears the company found a loophole in the system that allows it to use the gas generators as long as they're not in the same location for more than 364 days. In January, xAI applied for a permit for 15 generators, but there was no mention of the additional 20 units in the application. The Shelby county health separtment, Environmental Protection Agency and xAI did not immediately return requests for comment. The Southern Environmental Law Center says these generators are running 24/7 and pump harmful nitrogen oxides into the air. Within one to two miles of xAI are several residential neighborhoods, where the people who live there have long dealt with industrial pollution. This area is historically Black and has higher rates of cancer and asthma and a lower life expectancy than other parts of the city. In its letter to the health department, the Southern Environmental Law Center says an emergency order should be issued that requires xAI to cease or suspend the use of the 35 generators. If xAI doesn't comply, the group says, it should be penalized $25,000 each day it violates the Clean Air Act. A representative from xAI, Brent Mayo, was on the agenda to speak with the Shelby county board of commissioners on Wednesday. But he didn't show up. The commission chair said she sent three emails to Mayo notifying him of the meeting and that 'we did not hear back from him'. A representative for the Chamber of Commerce, which has worked with xAI to set up its facility in Memphis, told the commissioners that xAI didn't get the emails. Members of the community, like Pearson, did speak to the commissioners on Wednesday. They all had concerns with xAI's pollution and the multiplying of its gas generators. Pearson is from one of the neighborhoods near xAI and said both of his grandmothers died of cancer in their 60s. He believes their deaths were caused by living so close to Memphis' industrial zone. 'Nobody else should be burying their families because these rogue, rich, white, racist people continue to build projects that are suffocating us,' Pearson said. 'This is all preventable.'
The Guardian
10-04-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Elon Musk's xAI powering its facility in Memphis with ‘illegal' generators
KeShaun Pearson took a seat in front of the Shelby county board of commissioners in Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday morning. In the gallery behind him, a small group of people held up signs that said 'Our air = our lives' and 'Our water, Our future.' With a manner-of-fact demeanor, Pearson addressed the commissioners. 'I'm here because today we've learned that xAI is using 35 methane gas burning turbines,' said Pearson, who is the director of the advocacy group Memphis Community Against Pollution. 'They have submitted a permit to our Shelby county health department for 15, yet they are using double that amount with no permit.' It's been known that xAI, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, has been using around 15 portable generators to help power its massive supercomputer in Memphis without yet securing permits. But new aerial images obtained by the Southern Environmental Law Center show that number is now far higher. The group says these gas turbines combined can generate around 420MW of electricity, enough to power an entire city. 'xAI has essentially built a power plant in South Memphis with no oversight, no permitting, and no regard for families living in nearby communities,' Amanda Garcia, senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement. 'These dozens of gas turbines are doing significant harm to the air Memphians breathe every day.' The 35 generators xAI is using are 'illegal' and a 'major source of air pollution', the law center wrote in a letter to the Shelby county health department on Wednesday. It says these high emission rates violate the Clean Air Act, including specified limits on toxic and carcinogenic pollution. Musk fired up his xAI facility in Memphis last summer. He calls the supercomputer 'Colossus' and it's tasked with providing compute power for xAI's chatbot Grok. The building that houses Colossus is the size of 13 football fields and Musk has said he plans to double that. Artificial intelligence requires an immense amount of energy to carry out computations and provide quick responses to user queries. For example, a query with ChatGPT needs nearly 10 times as much electricity as a typical Google search query, according to a report by Goldman Sachs. In the US, the majority of that electricity comes from burning fossil fuels like coal and gas, which are primary drivers of climate change. xAI already has contracts to draw 150MW of electricity from Memphis' local utility, which is enough to power 100,000 homes a year. But Musk has said he needs even more energy to deal with power fluctuation issues at the plant. When the first few methane gas generators appeared outside the xAI facility last summer, it caused a stir because the Shelby county health department and the Environmental Protection Agency said xAI wasn't using permits to run those generators. It appears the company found a loophole in the system that allows it to use the gas generators as long as they're not in the same location for more than 364 days. In January, xAI applied for a permit for 15 generators, but there was no mention of the additional 20 units in the application. The Shelby county health separtment, Environmental Protection Agency and xAI did not immediately return requests for comment. The Southern Environmental Law Center says these generators are running 24/7 and pump harmful nitrogen oxides into the air. Within one to two miles of xAI are several residential neighborhoods, where the people who live there have long dealt with industrial pollution. This area is historically Black and has higher rates of cancer and asthma and a lower life expectancy than other parts of the city. In its letter to the health department, the Southern Environmental Law Center says an emergency order should be issued that requires xAI to cease or suspend the use of the 35 generators. If xAI doesn't comply, the group says, it should be penalized $25,000 each day it violates the Clean Air Act. A representative from xAI, Brent Mayo, was on the agenda to speak with the Shelby county board of commissioners on Wednesday. But he didn't show up. The commission chair said she sent three emails to Mayo notifying him of the meeting and that 'we did not hear back from him'. A representative for the Chamber of Commerce, which has worked with xAI to set up its facility in Memphis, told the commissioners that xAI didn't get the emails. Members of the community, like Pearson, did speak to the commissioners on Wednesday. They all had concerns with xAI's pollution and the multiplying of its gas generators. Pearson is from one of the neighborhoods near xAI and said both of his grandmothers died of cancer in their 60s. He believes their deaths were caused by living so close to Memphis' industrial zone. 'Nobody else should be burying their families because these rogue, rich, white, racist people continue to build projects that are suffocating us,' Pearson said. 'This is all preventable.'
