NAACP sues xAI over unpermitted gas turbines at Memphis data centers
The NAACP filed a lawsuit accusing xAI of violating the Clean Air Act by operating 27 unpermitted gas turbines at its Southaven, Mississippi power plant between August and December 2025. The lawsuit alleges the turbines emit over 1,700 tons of nitrogen oxides and toxic chemicals annually, posing health risks to nearby residents in historically Black communities that already face elevated rates of respiratory disease.
What happened
The NAACP, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center and Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit on 14 April 2026 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi alleging that xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech, LLC installed and operated 27 gas turbines in Southaven, Mississippi between August and December 2025 without air permits.
The lawsuit alleges the turbines violate the Clean Air Act by emitting toxic pollutants including nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde. The company claims no federal permit was required because the turbines were for temporary use.
xAI operates two datacenters in the region: Colossus in Memphis, Tennessee, located near the historically Black neighborhood of Boxtown, and Colossus II in Southaven, Mississippi, which occupies 1 million square feet.
Reported impact
The NAACP alleges that Colossus II has the capacity to emit more than 1,700 tons of harmful nitrogen oxides per year, along with toxic chemicals like formaldehyde. The turbines emit smog-forming pollutants and particulate matter that can lead to increased health risks.
Memphis area neighborhoods with historically high Black populations have faced higher rates of asthma and respiratory diseases as well as lower life expectancy than other parts of the region.
Index analysis
The suit argues that xAI is following a pattern of asking Black and frontline communities to bear the toxic burden of innovation. Boxtown, a historically Black neighborhood established by formerly enslaved people after emancipation in the 19th century, is located a few miles from the Colossus datacenter.
Governance controls
The NAACP is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to force xAI and MZX Tech to cease operating the turbines without required permits, apply necessary pollution controls, and pay civil penalties for each day of violation.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.