Elon Musk is the CEO of xAI, the company handling all AI matters on X, formerly known as Twitter. xAI is recognized as one of the world’s leading AI companies, valued at around $230 billion as of January 2026. The company utilizes a generative AI chatbot called ‘Grok.’ In 2024, xAI established plans for building a supercomputer in Memphis, Tennessee to power and enhance Grok’s AI chatbot capabilities. A high-functioning supercomputer has the capabilities to solve complex questions at an incredibly high-speed. Whereas a data center only receives information, a supercomputer receives information and generates output. For example, users on X tend to comment under a post and ask Grok to summarize the post or to explain what the post means, and the output is claimed to come with “a twist of humor and a dash of rebellion.”  

The supercomputer, Colossus 1, was built in 122 days with size and speed in mind. The company’s testimonial is as follows: “We were told it would take 24 months to build. So we took the project into our own hands, questioned everything, removed whatever was unnecessary, and accomplished our goal in four months.” Construction began in June 2024 and the project was completed around October 2024. 

An even larger facility, Colossus 2, was built bordering Memphis, and a companion facility, MACROHARDRR, is in the works in Southaven, Mississippi, less than 20 minutes away from the city of Memphis. Taken together, these facilities in the greater Memphis area are claimed by Musk to be the world’s largest supercomputer. Colossus 1 alone uses 150 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power 100,000 homes. 

Environmental impacts of Colossus 1 and 2 

When companies use significant amounts of energy for their projects, environmental impacts are bound to ensure. Methane gas turbines are used by xAI to generate the power to run the facilities. The company elected to use the gas turbines rather than using the city’s power grid. Initially, when only Colossus 1 existed, it was difficult to estimate the number of turbines that were being used at the facility due to the lack of transparency from both the local government and xAI. For the development of Colossus 1 and 2, these turbines were portable, as to allow their operation without permitting due to a local county policy that allowed the operation of generators if they sat in one location for no more than 364 days. There were reports of up to 35 gas turbines on the property solely powering Colossus 1, but that number has not been confirmed.  

The gas turbines emit hazardous chemicals such as formaldehyde and contribute to smog by worsening the ground level ozone. Harmful nitrogen oxides are released into the air surrounding these facilities, which are known to cause upper respiratory diseases like asthma, and even cancer. 

Environmental justice implications 

Environmental justice is the idea that there is a right to a healthy and safe environment for every single individual, and that everyone’s considerations should be taken into account when it comes to enforcement of environmental laws, policies, and development of infrastructure. The reality is that minority and low-income communities often become the dumping ground for industrial pollutants. In denying these communities a clean environment, they are being deprived of the right to be healthy. 

The city of Memphis, specifically the predominantly black communities of South Memphis, have historical roots in exposure to environmental hazards. “The neighborhoods have long been targeted by industrial polluters, including a steel mill, a now-shuttered coal power plant, a utility-operated gas power plant, and an oil refinery.” The history of near constant pollutants in the area resulted in a local community of developing high asthma rates and a failing grade from the American Lung Association for air quality. The residents of the communities surrounding the facilities are largely black and low-income, and these individuals are experiencing a disproportional impact of environmental harm. This disproportional impact of environmental harm caused by industrial polluters, and now xAI, results in lower life expectancies for these parts of Memphis. 

Recent EPA crackdown 

The company’s method of removing “whatever was unnecessary” apparently included environmental regulations for the gas turbines on the property. Environmental groups and activists voiced their concerns with xAI’s development in the Memphis area and the lack of transparency and accountability when it comes to the environmental impact of the supercomputer. Some members of the local government in Memphis seemed excited about the prospect of their city becoming a large data hub and what the project could mean for employment opportunities. The Memphis Chamber of Commerce estimated that xAI would bring up to 500 high-paying jobs to the greater Memphis area, and the prospect of how much the company would generate for the local economy in tax revenue is in the tens of millions.  

However, the Memphis community was largely taken by surprise. Memphis Councilwoman Yolanda Cooper-Sutton was shocked when she found out about the plans for the facility on the evening news. “Cooper-Sutton says she couldn’t believe her ears. This was the first time she’d heard anything about the project.”  

The Clean Air Act mandates that air emissions should be regulated in part through major facilities having to obtain a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit prior to construction. xAI applied for a minor source permit in January 2025, but environmental activists say that the permit application was too far after the construction of the facilities, and that the amount of pollutants being emitted from the turbines do not constitute a minor source. Although not confirmed, there were talks of local officials in Memphis signing non-disclosure agreements with xAI regarding the development of the facilities, all without public input. 

On January 15, 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency declared that generators, like the turbines being used to power xAI’s facilities and Grok, are not exempt from permitting requirements. It is unclear as to whether xAI is planning on abiding by the permitting regulations, and it is also unclear as to how the government will administer these regulations and penalize companies not in compliance. Environmental activists and the local communities of Memphis are hopeful that these mandates will facilitate more transparency of the environmental impacts of the supercomputer and eventually lessen the burden on disadvantaged communities. 

Celine Kordon 

Class of 2027, Staff Member