Despite Protests, Elon Musk Secures Air Permit for xAI

Elon Musk’s xAI data center in Memphis has been granted an air permit by the Shelby County Health Department to continue operating its gas turbines, which power the company’s Grok chatbot. This permit was issued despite significant community opposition and an impending lawsuit alleging violations of the Clean Air Act. The xAI facility, located in the predominantly Black Boxtown neighborhood—a historically pollution-burdened area—uses mobile gas turbines that emit harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides. Residents and local leaders, including State Rep. Justin Pearson, have raised concerns about the public health impact of these emissions, describing the situation as a public health emergency. xAI began operating the turbines before obtaining the necessary permits, leading to legal challenges from the NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), which argue that the company violated environmental regulations by failing to secure permits and allowing unchecked pollution. The newly issued permit allows xAI to operate 15 turbines until 2027, though reports and aerial footage suggest the company