XAI
xAI is going solar, but the gas story isn’t over
AI startup xAI has told local planners in Memphis that it plans to build a solar farm next to its Colossus data centre, one of the largest sites in the world for training AI models.
The solar site would cover 88 acres and is expected to produce around 30 megawatts of electricity, which is only about 10% of the data centre’s estimated power needs.
The plan comes as xAI remains under scrutiny for its current power setup.
The Southern Environmental Law Center, working with the NAACP, says the company has been operating more than 35 natural gas turbines without proper permits.
These turbines are estimated to release over 2,000 tonnes of nitrogen oxide each year, a pollutant linked to smog and breathing problems.
Residents in nearby Boxtown, a mostly Black neighbourhood, have raised health concerns.
Researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville found that nitrogen dioxide levels increased by 79% in areas close to the data centre after xAI began operations.
Local activists say asthma attacks and other respiratory issues have risen since the site opened.
Even so, city officials have approved permits for xAI to continue running 15 turbines until January 2027.
Separately, xAI has announced a 100-megawatt solar project nearby, paired with large batteries to provide continuous power.
The developer, Seven States Power Corporation, received $439 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, most of it as an interest-free loan.
In brief:
The proposed Memphis solar farm would supply only a small share of the data centre’s power needs.
Air pollution and public health concerns remain a key issue for nearby communities.
Federal funding is backing xAI’s renewable plans while gas-powered expansion continues elsewhere.
Gas is still gas
This support stands out as clean energy funding from bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy has been reduced under the Trump administration.
At the same time, xAI is adding gas turbines in Mississippi to power its second data centre.
There are currently 59 turbines on site, with 18 classed as temporary and not fully tracked by regulators.
The math on that power supply is not power-supplying. - MG