Synthetic intelligence startup xAI, based by Elon Musk, advised metropolis and county planners in Memphis final week that it plans to construct a photo voltaic farm subsequent to its Colossus information middle — one of many world’s largest services for coaching AI fashions.
The undertaking would occupy 88 acres to the west and south of the information middle. A 136-acre vacant lot owned by the developer that additionally owns the Colossus property presently borders the positioning. Given the proposed measurement, the photo voltaic farm would seemingly produce round 30 megawatts of electrical energy, solely about 10% of the information middle’s estimated energy use.
XAI has come beneath fireplace for working over 400 megawatts of pure fuel generators with out permits, in response to the Southern Environmental Legislation Heart (SELC). The authorized group, which is working with the NAACP, says that xAI has operated at the very least 35 generators able to emitting greater than 2,000 tons of NOX air pollution — nitrogen oxide emissions that contribute to smog and respiratory issues — yearly.
The generators have sparked fierce opposition from residents in close by Boxtown, a predominantly Black group the place researchers on the College of Tennessee, Knoxville, discovered that peak nitrogen dioxide focus ranges elevated by 79% in areas instantly surrounding the information middle after xAI started operations. Neighborhood activists have reported elevated bronchial asthma assaults and respiratory points because the facility opened.
The AI firm has mentioned that it intends to make use of the generators till it might probably safe further energy, however native officers gave xAI a allow to function 15 generators via January 2027.
In September, xAI mentioned it could construct a 100-megawatt photo voltaic farm close by, which will likely be paired with 100 megawatts of grid-scale batteries to supply a 24/7 supply of electrical energy.
The corporate hasn’t disclosed the entire value of that undertaking, however the photo voltaic farm’s developer, Seven States Energy Firm, was awarded $439 million from the U.S. Division of Agriculture. Of that, $414 million is an interest-free mortgage.
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The federal award is notable provided that many clear power grants and loans have been canceled by the Environmental Safety Company and the Division of Vitality beneath the Trump administration.
In the meantime, xAI has added fuel generators in Mississippi to energy its Colossus 2 information middle. Up to now, 59 of them are onsite, and the corporate considers 18 of them momentary, which means that regulators don’t observe their air pollution.
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