Musk’s xAI to build small solar farm adjacent to Colossus data center

Artificial quality startup xAI, founded by Elon Musk, told metropolis and region planners successful Memphis past week that it plans to physique a star workplace adjacent to its Colossus information halfway — 1 of the world’s largest facilities for grooming AI models.

The task would inhabit 88 acres to the westbound and to the southbound of the information center. A 136-acre vacant batch owned by the developer that besides owns the Colossus spot presently borders the site. Given the projected size, the star workplace would apt nutrient astir 30 megawatts of electricity, lone astir 10% of the information center’s estimated powerfulness use.

Musk’s institution has travel nether occurrence for operating implicit 400 megawatts of earthy state turbines without permits, according to the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC). The ineligible organization, which is moving with the NAACP, says that xAI has operated astatine slightest 35 turbines susceptible of emitting much than 2,000 tons of NO_X contamination — nitrogen oxide emissions that lend to smog and respiratory problems — annually.

The turbines person sparked fierce absorption from residents successful adjacent Boxtown, a predominantly Black assemblage wherever researchers astatine the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, recovered that highest nitrogen dioxide attraction levels increased by 79% successful areas instantly surrounding the information halfway aft xAI began operations. Community activists person reported accrued asthma attacks and respiratory issues since the installation opened.

The AI institution has said that it intends to usage the turbines until it tin unafraid further power, but section officials gave xAI a licence to operate 15 turbines done January 2027.

In September, xAI said it would physique a 100-megawatt star farm nearby, which volition beryllium paired with 100 megawatts of grid-scale batteries to supply a 24/7 root of electricity.

The institution hasn’t disclosed the full outgo of that project, but the star farm’s developer, Seven States Power Company, was awarded $439 cardinal from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Of that, $414 cardinal is an interest-free loan.

The national grant is notable fixed that galore cleanable vigor grants and loans person been canceled by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy nether the Trump administration. 

Meanwhile, xAI has added state turbines successful Mississippi to powerfulness its Colossus 2 information center. So far, 59 of them are onsite, and the institution considers 18 of them temporary, meaning that regulators don’t way their pollution.