Technology Jun 16, 2026 · 1 min read

Trump admin tries to block Clean Air Act lawsuit over xAI's gas turbines

NAACP lawsuit says xAI uses gas turbines without permits for Grok data center.

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Ars Technica
by Jon Brodkin
Trump admin tries to block Clean Air Act lawsuit over xAI's gas turbines

The Trump administration is trying to help Elon Musk's xAI Corp. beat a Clean Air Act lawsuit filed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The US said the NAACP lawsuit threatens an xAI data center that powers Grok systems needed by the military.

The NAACP sued xAI and subsidiary MZX Tech in April, alleging that they violated the Clean Air Act by operating 27 gas turbines without an air permit in Southaven, Mississippi. The number of unpermitted turbines rose to 57 by mid-May and there were plans to install two more, the NAACP said in a June 12 filing.

"Defendants’ Colossus Gas Plant powers xAI’s nearby Colossus 2 data center, which in turn powers the chatbot 'Grok,'" the lawsuit said. The gas turbines have fueled both health concerns and noise complaints.

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This article was originally published by Ars Technica and written by Jon Brodkin .

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