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Community Voices Concerns Over xAI’s Methane Generators in Memphis

On Wednesday morning, KeShaun Pearson, director of the advocacy group Memphis Community Against Pollution, addressed the Shelby County Board of Commissioners in Memphis, Tennessee, regarding environmental concerns stemming from xAI’s operations. Behind him, a small group of supporters held signs proclaiming “Our air = our lives” and “Our water, Our future.”

“I’m here because today we’ve learned that xAI is using 35 methane gas burning turbines,” Pearson informed the commissioners. “They have submitted a permit for 15 to our Shelby County health department, yet they are operating double that amount without any permit.”

It has previously been established that xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, has been relying on approximately 15 portable generators for its supercomputer facility in Memphis without securing the necessary permits. However, recent aerial surveillance conducted by the Southern Environmental Law Center indicates that the actual number of generators being utilized is significantly higher. According to the center, these gas turbines are capable of producing roughly 420MW of electricity, a capacity sufficient to power an entire city.

“xAI has essentially built a power plant in South Memphis without oversight, permits, or consideration for the families living in nearby areas,” remarked Amanda Garcia, senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center. “These numerous gas turbines pose a substantial threat to the air quality faced by the residents of Memphis.”

In correspondence sent to the Shelby County health department, the law center highlighted that the 35 generators are not only “illegal” but also constitute a significant source of air pollution. Their emissions reportedly breach the Clean Air Act, which outlines limits on harmful and carcinogenic pollutants.

Since launching its facility in Memphis last summer, Musk has dubbed the supercomputer “Colossus,” designed to supply computational power to xAI’s chatbot Grok. The structure housing Colossus spans an area equivalent to 13 football fields, and Musk has expressed intentions to expand this footprint further.

The energy demands of artificial intelligence are substantial. For instance, a single query made through ChatGPT requires nearly ten times the electricity of a typical Google search, according to a report by Goldman Sachs. In the U.S., fossil fuels, especially coal and gas, remain primary sources of this electricity, exacerbating climate change.

xAI has secured contracts to draw 150MW of electricity from Memphis’ local utility, sufficient to power approximately 100,000 households annually. However, Musk has stated that additional energy is necessary to mitigate power fluctuations occurring at the plant. The initial appearance of methane gas generators outside the xAI facility last summer raised alarms, with local health and environmental agencies asserting that xAI was operating without the required permits.

It seems that the company may have exploited a regulatory loophole that permits the use of gas generators as long as they are relocated within 364 days. While xAI applied for a permit for 15 generators back in January, the permit application did not account for the additional 20 units.

Despite inquiries, the Shelby County health department, the Environmental Protection Agency, and xAI did not provide immediate comments.

The Southern Environmental Law Center claims that these generators operate continuously, releasing harmful nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. Several residential neighborhoods lie within one to two miles of the xAI facility, where residents have long endured the impacts of industrial pollution. This area, predominantly inhabited by Black communities, exhibits higher incidences of cancer and asthma and tends to have lower life expectancies than other regions of the city.

In their letter to the health department, the Southern Environmental Law Center urged the issuance of an emergency order requiring xAI to halt operations of the 35 generators. The group proposed that if xAI fails to comply, it should face penalties of $25,000 for each day of contravention of the Clean Air Act.

During the meeting, Brent Mayo, a representative from xAI, was scheduled to address the Shelby County Board of Commissioners but did not attend. The commission chair revealed that multiple emails were sent to Mayo regarding the meeting with no responses received. A representative from the Chamber of Commerce indicated that xAI had not received the notifications.

Local community members, including Pearson, raised their voices at the commissioners’ meeting, expressing significant concern over the pollution contributed by xAI’s gas generators. Pearson noted his personal connection to the issue, revealing that both of his grandmothers succumbed to cancer in their 60s, a fate he attributes to the close proximity of their home to Memphis’ industrial sector.

“Nobody else should be burying their families because these rogue, wealthy, powerful individuals continue to build projects that are suffocating us,” Pearson emphasized. “This situation is entirely preventable.”

Source
www.theguardian.com