Press Mention CleanTechnica April 26, 2025
SACE Quoted
Mr. Musk Goes To Memphis — And Poisons Its Air
In this mention
An article criticizing xAI's Colossus data center in Memphis, Tennessee for operating 30+ methane gas turbines without air permits and causing pollution in historically Black neighborhoods. Stephen Smith of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy warns that the facility represents a bait-and-switch expansion that will require TVA to build new generation capacity and questions who will bear the costs.
Even more concerning is the fact that we are far from convinced that xAI didn't know when they first came to Memphis that they would expand the plans 10x. This is a classic bait and switch — xAI proposed one thing, and grew support from stakeholders like the Greater Memphis Chamber, the Memphis Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE), TVA, and governing authorities. Musk and crew moved forward on the path to operating the facility, and only then announced a change in magnitude that creates a fundamentally different situation for public health in Memphis, economic stability for ratepayers, and environmental security.
Stephen A. Smith