Elon Musk’s xAI is reportedly making pollution worse in Memphis

Elon Musk has found a home for his artificial intelligence startup’s supercomputer — but now he’s accused of making pollution in the area worse.

In June, xAI chose Memphis, Tennessee for its “computing gigafactory,” after Musk reportedly asked chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA) TO prioritizes its shipments of AI chips to xAI and its social platform X, over its electric vehicle company Tesla (TSLA).

However, local advocates express concern about xAI’s use of gas-powered turbines because smog in Memphis exceeds national air quality standards.

In a letter to the Shelby County Health Department this week, the Southern Environmental Law Center says the xAI supercomputer “requires an enormous amount of electricity” and that the startup “has installed at least 18 gas-burning turbines over the past several months.” to meet that demand, with possibly more to come. Combined, the turbines “have the capacity to emit approximately 130 tons of ozone precursor nitrogen oxides (NOx) per year, ranking the turbines as the 9th largest source of NOx in Shelby County,” according to SELC. Meanwhile, the startup “apparently failed to apply” for the necessary air permits before installing and operating some of the turbines, SELC said.

On behalf of local groups, the environmental nonprofit is asking the health department to confirm whether xAI is operating its turbines without an air permit and to order the startup to cease operations until the permit is obtained.

“South Memphis has been overburdened with industrial pollution for decades, and turning a blind eye to the unpermitted gas turbines at the xAI facility will only continue the long legacy of environmental injustice in these predominantly black communities,” Amanda Garcia, attorney senior at SELC, said in a statement shared with Quartz. “We urge health officials to investigate these turbines and take the necessary steps to help Memphians breathe easier.”

The Shelby County Health Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. xAI could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, xAI plans to use energy from Memphis Light, Gas and Water and the Tennessee Valley Authority in the long term and MLGW said CNBC gives the startup 50 megawatts of power. The data center needs another 100 megawatts.

In May, xAI raised $6 billion in a round counting Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital as investors. Competitor OpenAI has developed its own chatbot, Grokas a competitor to ChatGPT.