U.S. Department of Justice backs xAI's use of 57 unpermitted gas turbines at its Memphis data centers, citing national security and AI innovation tied to military operations.

What happened: The Department of Justice filed a memorandum supporting xAI in a lawsuit brought by the NAACP to stop the company's use of dozens of unpermitted natural gas turbines near its data centers. The DOJ argued that shutting off the power supply would undermine 'American national, economic, and energy security' and stated that Grok (xAI's AI model) supports 'mission-critical operations,' including recent military strikes. xAI has 57 turbines at its Colossus and Colossus 2 data centers, more than double the number from last year.

Why it matters: The Memphis region is already one of the most polluted in the country, and since xAI's data centers went online, air quality has worsened. The number of turbines has more than doubled, causing corresponding increases in three major air pollutants—PM2.5, formaldehyde, and oxides of nitrogen (NOx)—all of which have been linked to asthma, cardiovascular disease, and other health conditions. The NAACP and Southern Environmental Law Center argue that xAI violates federal law, which treats trailer-mounted turbines as stationary and therefore subject to regulation, even though xAI has kept the turbines on trailers to claim exemption from Mississippi air pollution rules.

What to watch: SpaceX's IPO filing revealed the company plans to buy another $2.8 billion（約4500億円） worth of gas turbines to power AI data centers over the next three years, with at least $2 billion（約3200億円） earmarked for 'mobile gas turbines.' This signals xAI is likely to expand its turbine footprint considerably in the coming months or years.