How the fight over Elon Musk’s air permit could change Memphis
There are many existing industrial polluters in the 38109 ZIP code, including the Valero Memphis Refinery. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)
Air-emissions permits typically don’t attract much attention. They’re government minutiae, a regulatory step that occurs regularly behind the scenes in communities across the U.S.
But not all air-emissions permits are created equal, especially when they involve Elon Musk.
For months, the question of whether Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI should receive an air-emissions permit for 15 natural gas turbines has divided Memphians and pitted politicians against one another. It’s also been confused with whether xAI’s existing use of natural-gas turbines (which did not have an air emissions permit) was legal.
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Samuel Hardiman
Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise and investigative reporter who focuses on local government and politics. He began his journalism career at the Tulsa World in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he covered business and, later, K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development. He then served as the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s city hall reporter and later joined The Daily Memphian in 2023. His current work focuses on Elon Musk’s xAI, regional energy needs and how Memphis and Shelby County government spend taxpayer dollars.
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