Mississippi regulators will convene a public hearing on Tuesday to consider permit applications and public input related to a proposed gas-fired power installation intended to supply electricity for xAI’s Colossus II data center. The proceedings come as the NAACP has declared its intent to pursue litigation, alleging the company has been installing and operating gas turbines at a Southaven site without the permits mandated under federal law.
In a formal notice of its potential lawsuit, the NAACP, representing a predominantly African American local population residing near the existing Colossus I facility in Memphis, Tennessee, said xAI began the installation and subsequent operation of 27 gas turbines in Southaven, Mississippi. Those turbines are intended to provide power for Colossus II, which is sited across the state line in Memphis, the group said.
The civil rights organization contends these actions were taken without securing the required preconstruction or operating air permits under the Clean Air Act. The NAACP stated in its letter that pollution from the turbines is already exacerbating, and will further worsen, air quality in Southaven and across the wider Memphis metropolitan area.
Alleged emissions and health concerns
The NAACP said the turbines could emit substantial quantities of smog-forming nitrogen oxides, potentially exceeding the Clean Air Act threshold that defines a "major source" of such pollutants. The organization also raised concerns about emissions of other contaminants, including fine particulate matter and formaldehyde, which it described as carcinogenic. The letter framed these emissions as particularly harmful to local communities that are largely African American.
The Clean Air Act requires would-be plaintiffs to provide a 60-day notice of intent to sue, a step the NAACP has taken while seeking redress for the alleged failures to obtain proper permits.
xAI’s project status and prior permit issues
xAI has been rapidly expanding its Colossus supercomputer campus. The operation in Memphis is being used to train the company’s Grok AI chatbot, with Colossus currently in phase 2 and the company seeking to initiate a third phase soon, according to the materials referenced by the parties involved.
Earlier permit disputes have already resulted in changes to xAI’s turbine installations. After the Southern Environmental Law Center, representing the NAACP in the present action, filed a notice in 2024 over 35 non-permitted turbines at the Colossus I site, xAI removed 20 turbines and subsequently obtained permits for the remaining 15 that stayed in place.
Regulatory review and public input
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has characterized the upcoming hearing as the only formal opportunity for the public to comment on the project. The Southern Environmental Law Center has said that, if built as proposed, the facility will represent the largest new source of pollution in the Memphis area in years.
The DEQ noted that xAI has submitted permit applications for 41 permanent turbines at the Southaven site and that the company plans to operate a number of temporary turbines while those applications are under review. xAI was not immediately available to provide comment on the NAACP notice or on its turbine operations.
Contextual note
Public comment at the DEQ hearing will shape the administrative record as regulators consider whether to grant the requested permits and how to address concerns raised by community groups and environmental advocates. The NAACP and its legal representatives have signaled litigation is possible if regulatory or company responses do not resolve their concerns.