“We are rapidly removing these mobile turbines as we bring online permanent power from a 1.2 GW power plant we are constructing under our Clean Air Act permit,” the company said.
The turbines have supplied power to the Colossus AI data center while permanent infrastructure is under construction. SpaceXAI is also developing additional sites along the Mississippi-Tennessee border, increasing the number of temporary turbines from more than a dozen to 69.
The transition plan follows legal challenges from the NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), which have sued over the operation of the temporary turbines. The lawsuits argue the generators have been operating without the permits required under federal regulations.
SELC disputed the company's characterization of the removal effort, noting that the turbine fleet has continued to expand in recent months.
“In reality, the opposite is true: the company has been continually expanding its already-enormous Colossus Gas Plant, adding nine new polluting gas turbines in July and bringing the current total number of turbines to 69,” SELC Litigation Director Kym Meyer said in a statement.
The organization is calling for the immediate shutdown of the turbines rather than a phased retirement over the next year.
As the temporary units are retired, SpaceXAI plans to replace them with a permanent natural gas power facility consisting of 41 turbines operating under a Clean Air Act permit granted in March 2026. The company said the new power plant will use “advanced emission control technologies” designed to convert emitted gases into nitrogen and water to reduce environmental impact.
SpaceXAI also said it is investing in noise mitigation measures, including sound walls, silencers, and quieter turbine technology.
“We care deeply about being good neighbors, and we regularly reconfigure power operations to reduce noise from the facility and minimize our impact on the local Southaven community,” the company said.
The controversy surrounding Colossus reflects broader concerns over the rapid expansion of AI data centers and the infrastructure needed to power them. Across the United States, new facilities have drawn opposition from residents worried about environmental impacts, electricity demand, water consumption, and other local effects.
SpaceXAI has sought to address some of those concerns through community initiatives, including discounted Starlink internet service for local residents and a public webpage outlining investments and projects intended to benefit the Memphis area.
The company maintains that the current turbines are a temporary solution while the larger power plant is completed. If the announced schedule is met, all 69 mobile turbines will be removed by July 2027 as the permanent facility comes online.
This analysis is based on reporting from PC Mag.
Image courtesy of Steve Jones, Flight by Southwings for SELC.
This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy and quality.
