SpaceX keeps xAI's illegal turbines running until 2027

spacex disclosed that it will operate 69 unpermitted gas turbines for xai's memphis data centers until july 2027, simultaneously building a permanent 1.2gw plant with 41 new turbines. the unpermitted units, capable of emitting over 2,000 tons of nox annually, face legal challenges from the naacp, though the doj intervened claiming energy security imperatives override local permitting. spacex justifies the continued use by arguing the turbines remain on shipping trailers, a claim environmental groups dispute. with $2.8b allocated for turbine purchases, this signals that high-stakes ai infrastructure will increasingly rely on private, flexible power solutions to evade regulatory bottlenecks.