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ClimateQuiet 11d · day 15

Satellite study links SpaceXAI's Colossus gas turbines to Mississippi NOx spike

MIT researchers say NASA satellite data show pollution from xAI's uncontrolled Memphis-area turbines rivaling central London; SpaceXAI disputes it.

newest coverage 11d agosummary written 11d ago4 pieces RedditMastodonNewswires

What to know

  • SpaceXAI's Colossus 2 facility in Memphis, used to train the Grok chatbot, draws power from dozens of temporary gas turbines across the state line in Southaven, Mississippi, installed without standard air permits.
  • The turbine count grew from 27 in December 2025 to 69 by August 2026, with capacity reaching about 1,775 megawatts, rivaling the state's largest power plants.
  • An MIT-led analysis of NASA satellite data finds NOx emissions from the site far exceeding a nearby conventional gas plant, with pollution levels compared to central London; SpaceXAI and local authorities dispute the claim.
  • The NAACP has sued over the operation as an unpermitted power plant, while nearby residents describe constant noise and pollution concerns.

“There’s a lot of electricity being created, and they are putting a lot of NO2 [the most commonly regulated NOx gas] into the atmosphere.”

Ronald Cohen, UC Berkeley atmospheric scientist · New Scientist ↗ · Sep 10

SpaceXAI Operator of Colossus 2 data center and Southaven turbine siteNAACP Plaintiff in lawsuitTaylor Logsdon Southaven, Mississippi residentKevin Gauld MIT researcherCosta Samaras Director, Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, Carnegie Mellon UniversityRonald Cohen Atmospheric scientist, UC Berkeley

Satellite study links SpaceXAI's Colossus gas turbines to Mississippi NOx spike
New Scientist

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 1 piece in 4h at Sep 9, 3 PM; 4 pieces over 15 days (1 article · 3 posts) Sep 9, 3 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Reddit 1Sep 9, 7 PM — quietSep 9, 11 PM — quietSep 10, 3 AM — quietSep 10, 7 AM — quietSep 10, 11 AM — quietSep 10, 3 PM — quietSep 10, 7 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 10, 11 PM — quietSep 11, 3 AM — quietSep 11, 7 AM — quietSep 11, 11 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 11, 3 PM — quietSep 11, 7 PM — quietSep 11, 11 PM — quietSep 12, 3 AM — quietSep 12, 7 AM — quietSep 12, 11 AM — quietSep 12, 3 PM — quietSep 12, 7 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 12, 11 PM — quietSep 13, 3 AM — quietSep 13, 7 AM — quietSep 13, 11 AM — quietSep 13, 3 PM — quietSep 13, 7 PM — quietSep 13, 11 PM — quietSep 14, 3 AM — quietSep 14, 7 AM — quietSep 14, 11 AM — quietSep 14, 3 PM — quietSep 14, 7 PM — quietSep 14, 11 PM — quietSep 15, 3 AM — quietSep 15, 7 AM — quietSep 15, 11 AM — quietSep 15, 3 PM — quietSep 15, 7 PM — quietSep 15, 11 PM — quietSep 16, 3 AM — quietSep 16, 7 AM — quietSep 16, 11 AM — quietSep 16, 3 PM — quietSep 16, 7 PM — quietSep 16, 11 PM — quietSep 17, 3 AM — quietSep 17, 7 AM — quietSep 17, 11 AM — quietSep 17, 3 PM — quietSep 17, 7 PM — quietSep 17, 11 PM — quietSep 18, 3 AM — quietSep 18, 7 AM — quietSep 18, 11 AM — quietSep 18, 3 PM — quietSep 18, 7 PM — quietSep 18, 11 PM — quietSep 19, 3 AM — quietSep 19, 7 AM — quietSep 19, 11 AM — quietSep 19, 3 PM — quietSep 19, 7 PM — quietSep 19, 11 PM — quietSep 20, 3 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 3 AM — quiet 1
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  1. 1

    MIT-led satellite study finds NOx pollution spike

    Using NASA's TEMPO satellite, researchers led by Kevin Gauld calculated NOx emissions from the Southaven turbines averaging 730 kg/hour and peaking at 1,180 kg/hour in August 2026, versus 21 kg/hour from a nearby conventional gas plant; SpaceXAI and local authorities dispute the findings.

    “The values they report in the vicinity of the [temporary turbines] are values that we have seen over central London…”
    — Martyn Chipperfield
    1. 1 outlet SpaceXAI data centre may have led to Mississippi air pollution spike

      first by New Scientist, 12d ago

    • SpaceXAI installed a bunch of on-site temporary natural gas power plants to run their data center in Memphis, generating a lot of local air pollution. I talked with @austyngaffney.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy about it: www.scientificamerican.com/article/spac... The data center backlash comes...

      costasamaras.com@bsky.brid.gyMastodon13d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. background

    Scientific American details community backlash in Southaven — An investigation describes residents like Taylor Logsdon living near the turbine site, the constant noise despite a $7-million sound wall, and the fights over permits and pollution as SpaceXAI's data center expansion continues.

  3. background

    Turbine count doubles to 69, capacity hits 1,775 MW — Mississippi regulators counted 69 temporary gas turbines at the Southaven site by July, more than double what SpaceXAI had previously acknowledged, giving the plant a capacity rivaling the state's largest power stations.

  4. background

    NAACP sues SpaceXAI over the turbine site — The NAACP filed suit calling the Southaven operation an unpermitted power plant, as the turbine fleet continued to grow.

  5. background

    SpaceXAI deploys temporary gas turbines at Southaven — Because the local grid could not deliver enough power on SpaceXAI's timeline, the company installed portable gas turbines at the Southaven site under a Mississippi rule allowing such equipment to run up to a year without air permits; satellite data first detected NOx emissions from the site in December 2025, when 27 turbines were present.

  6. background

    Colossus 2 data center goes online in Memphis — SpaceXAI's Colossus 2 facility in Memphis's Whitehaven neighborhood becomes the largest operational data center in the US, used to train the Grok chatbot; it draws power from a site across the state line in Southaven, Mississippi.