Memphis xAI data center faces aquifer and air-permit challenges
SafeGridUnited ยท September 10, 2026
Community groups have challenged the xAI Colossus campus over water draw and combustion without smog permits.
The xAI Colossus data-center and supercomputer campus in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, has drawn environmental and community opposition. Publicly raised concerns include gas-turbine combustion without smog permits, an aquifer water draw reported at approximately 1.3 million gallons per day, and noise pollution. Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP) has pursued EPA Clean Air Act petitions and aquifer-protection advocacy. Primary source: SafeGridUnited national dataset (seeds/national-v2.csv), Memphis (Shelby County) row.