The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ruled that Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, illegally operated 35 natural gas turbines to power its Colossus data centers in Tennessee. Despite xAI’s argument that the turbines were used temporarily and thus exempt from regulations, the EPA concluded otherwise after over a year of consideration, deeming xAI’s actions as a violation of the law.
The unauthorized operation of these power plants sparked backlash from local communities and legal entities, with concerns raised about increased ozone and particulate emissions in an already polluted area. Originally operating 35 turbines, xAI was only permitted to use 15, and currently, the company relies on 12 turbines to power its data centers in the region.
Source: TechCrunch