SpaceX will fully remove the unpermitted gas turbines currently powering its xAI data centers near Memphis by July 2027. The turbines are located in Mississippi, south of Memphis near the Tennessee border. [claim:2, claim:12]
The removal of the temporary units is expected to begin in August 2026. [claim:3]
Number of gas turbines currently operating to power Colossus data centers
Legal disputes and regulatory conflict
The NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center have sued xAI over the use of these unpermitted turbines. [claim:5] The NAACP filed its lawsuit in April, alleging the company's unpermitted turbines violated the Clean Air Act. [claim:6]
SpaceX claims it is allowed to operate the existing turbines without permits because they remain on the trailers they were shipped on. [claim:9] However, federal regulations state that the turbines used by xAI require permits due to their size and usage, regardless of what they sit on. [claim:10]
The xAI gas turbines have the potential to emit more than 2,000 tons of smog-forming NOx per year. [claim:11]
National, economic, and energy security
In June, the US Department of Justice submitted a filing to get the NAACP lawsuit dismissed, siding with SpaceX. [claim:14]
Infrastructure and expansion
To replace the temporary units, SpaceX is building a 1.2 gigawatt (GW) natural gas power plant in Mississippi. [claim:1] According to permit documents issued by the state of Mississippi, the new plant will consist of 41 gas turbines ranging from 16.48 megawatts to 50 megawatts. [claim:15]
SpaceX plans to buy $2.8 billion worth of gas turbines for its data centers over the next three years, according to its IPO filing. [claim:8] Earlier this year, Elon Musk bought APR Energy, a company specializing in temporary natural gas power. [claim:16]
The timeline for the acquisition of xAI by SpaceX remains a point of contention; while some reports state the acquisition occurred in February, others specify February 2026. [claim:7]