SpaceX announced on Thursday its intention to decommission the unpermitted gas turbines currently supplying power to its xAI data centers situated near Memphis. This move is part of a strategic transition towards a permanent, 1.2 gigawatt natural gas power plant, though the full removal of the existing turbines is not anticipated until July 2027.
Currently, SpaceX operates 69 gas turbines to energize its Colossus data centers, many of which have been in service for several months. This operation has drawn legal challenges, with the NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center filing lawsuits against xAI concerning the deployment of these unpermitted turbines. SpaceX finalized its acquisition of xAI in February.
According to its IPO filing, SpaceX has outlined plans to invest $2.8 billion in gas turbines for its data centers over the coming three-year period.
SpaceX asserts its right to operate the present turbines without permits, citing their continued placement on the original shipping trailers. However, federal regulations stipulate that the turbines utilized by xAI, irrespective of their mounting, necessitate permits due to their considerable size and operational application.
These turbines are presently located in Mississippi, just south of Memphis and across the Tennessee border. This area is recognized as one of the most polluted regions in the United States, and xAI's operation of these gas turbines carries the potential to release over 2,000 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) annually.
Notably, the Department of Justice last month intervened in the NAACP's lawsuit, aligning with SpaceX. The DOJ's stance was that the operation of these unpermitted turbines pertained to matters of "national, economic, and energy security."
The forthcoming permanent power plant under construction by SpaceX is slated to incorporate 41 gas turbines, with individual capacities ranging from 16.48 megawatts to 50 megawatts, as detailed in permit documents issued by the state of Mississippi. These units appear distinct from the currently operational turbines, though TechCrunch was unable to definitively confirm the specific models of the 69 existing units.
Earlier this year, Elon Musk acquired APR Energy, a firm specializing in temporary natural gas power solutions. An archived version of APR Energy's website, prior to its removal, suggests that the turbines within its fleet also differ from those specified in the permits for the new, permanent power plant.
Considering the unlikelihood of APR Energy's turbines being integrated into the new Colossus power plant, it is probable that this new fleet of turbines is earmarked for an entirely different, as yet undisclosed, project.
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