Permits not required for temporary xAI turbines
Gas turbines visible from 3231 Paul R. Lowry Road in Southwest Memphis help power the new xAI supercomputer. (Benjamin Naylor/The Daily Memphian)
A gas main constructed by xAI during its early buildout feeds gas to the turbines.
As the gas burns, xAI’s turbines don’t have an air emissions permit, according to the Shelby County Health Department. The Environmental Protection Agency considers emissions from such turbines as sources of Hazardous Air Pollutants and a potential source of carcinogens.
The turbines aren’t designed to be permanent. Soon, xAI’s heavy electric load could be on MLGW’s electric distribution system and TVA’s electric grid.
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Samuel Hardiman
Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise and investigative reporter who focuses on local government and politics. A native Rhode Islander who lives Downtown, he enjoys tennis, golf and reading.
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