Elon Musk is digging the hole deeper.
While being sued over air pollution, xAI wants to buy two and a half billion dollars more of the same troublemakers. It is in the SpaceX IPO filing released Wednesday.
The plan calls for another $2.8 billion in turbines for AI infrastructure over three years. A single chunk of that—$2 billion—is earmarked specifically for “mobile gas turbines.” The very ones they are currently getting slapped with litigation for.
It feels contradictory. Almost delirious.
The NAACP filed suit last month. They argue xAI is running dozens of unregulated gas engines near Memphis. One of the dirtier spots in America already. The group wants a judge to stop them. To force an injunction.
Here is the gap. xAI holds permits for 15 of these monsters. It is actually using 46.
Each turbine can spit out 2,000+ tons of NOx a year. Smog that hurts lungs.
How do they justify the gap? The mobile excuse.
xAI claims these are temporary. They are still sitting on their shipping trailers. So, by some logic, they don’t need permits for a while. Mississippi agrees with this reading of the rule.
The feds disagree.
The EPA decided earlier this year that size matters more than wheels. Even on a trailer. Those big engines need air quality permits. xAI broke federal law by ignoring this.
SpaceX admits the danger in that filing. No spin there. Just cold risk assessment.
“We currently rely significantly on natural gas.” Injunctions would hurt. Badly.
They know they are walking a wire. And they are buying more wire.
