Agreement on Turbine Phase-Out
SpaceX has reached an agreement with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to decommission 69 temporary gas turbines at its Colossus AI data center in Southaven. The phase-out is scheduled to begin in August 2026 and conclude no later than July 2027. These mobile units have served as a stopgap power source while the company constructs a permanent 1.2-gigawatt natural gas power plant.
Discrepancies in Data and Regulatory Oversight
The project has been marked by confusion regarding the scale of operations. While some reports cited 59 turbines, the official agreement specifies 69 units. Furthermore, a significant regulatory conflict persists: state regulators previously suggested that temporary turbines did not require air permits, a stance challenged by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA has maintained that temporary units exceeding specific emission thresholds must comply with federal Clean Air Act requirements, regardless of their temporary status.
Legal Pressure and Public Health Concerns
The commitment to a removal timeline follows intense scrutiny from lawmakers, environmental groups, and the NAACP. Critics, including Rep. Frank Pallone, have condemned the project for posing a significant health risk to local communities, particularly those already burdened by respiratory issues. SpaceX claims that the permanent 41-turbine facility, permitted in March 2026, will resolve these concerns by replacing the temporary capacity. However, skeptics argue that the shift to a larger permanent fossil-fuel plant fails to address the underlying reliance on high-emission energy sources. As litigation continues, the industry is watching closely to see if this removal schedule will be upheld or if further enforcement actions will be required to ensure compliance and protect public health.
Source: AI Daily News. This story was rewritten and translated for our readers.