Court allows NAACP lawsuit against xAI over data center pollution to proceed
In brief
- A federal judge allowed the NAACP’s lawsuit against xAI to proceed over unauthorized pollution at its Colossus data center.
- xAI’s argument that its gas turbines qualified as mobile sources was rejected by the court.
- The ruling follows rising public backlash against data centers in the U.S.
A federal judge denied xAI’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the NAACP through the Southern Environmental Law Center. The complaint accuses the SpaceX-owned AI company of operating 35 gas turbines and other pollution sources at its Colossus data center near Memphis without required air permits.
The NAACP argued that xAI wrongly claimed the turbines qualified as mobile sources exempt from permitting. Judge Debra M. Brown ruled that the plaintiffs had legal standing and that the turbines did not meet the exemption criteria under Mississippi’s State Implementation Plan. She also dismissed xAI’s constitutional challenge to citizen lawsuits.
The decision comes as public opposition to data centers, particularly those powered by fossil fuels, grows. Several U.S. states are considering moratoriums on new data center construction, while companies like Amazon and Microsoft are adjusting contract practices under pressure.
What it changes for you
- EnergyData center operators may need to review their environmental compliance procedures to avoid similar lawsuits.
- Public SectorLocal and national authorities may tighten controls on permits for energy infrastructure linked to data centers.
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