Elon Musk and SpaceXAI Agree to Remove Temporary Gas Turbines by 2027
Elon Musk and SpaceXAI have reached an agreement with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to establish a timeline for removing 69 temporary gas turbines at its Southaven power facility. The company will begin removing the mobile turbines as early as August 2026 as it transitions to a permanent 1.2 gigawatt natural-gas power plant. All temporary turbines are scheduled to be cleared by July 2027. SpaceXAI has faced legal challenges from the NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center regarding the use of unpermitted turbines. While the company argues the turbines qualify for a temporary-mobile exemption, the Justice Department has intervened to support SpaceXAI, citing national and economic security. However, some critics, including Representative Frank Pallone, have expressed concern over the potential impact on local communities. The administration announced that the 1.2 gigawatt plant will consist of 41 permanent turbines authorized under a Clean Air Act permit. SpaceXAI aims to provide reliable power for its Colossus data centers to train and operate Grok models while minimizing environmental impact through advanced emission control technologies.
Sources
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SpaceX Agrees to Remove Temporary Gas Turbines at Colossus Data Center By 2027
Gizmodo
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Creators of Grok, the AI Chatbot
X.AI
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SpaceX faces House Energy Committee demand to tour its AI data centers in Memphis
CNBC
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SpaceX won’t remove all of xAI’s unpermitted turbines for another year
Yahoo Finance
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SpaceXAI agrees to remove Mississippi turbines
Daily Memphian