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xAI supercomputer faces lawsuit over air pollution concerns

NAACP & environmental groups are suing Elon Musk’s xAI over turbine emissions at its Colossus supercomputer site.

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(Credit: xAI)

The xAI supercomputer, Colossus, faces a potential lawsuit from the NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center over pollution concerns tied to its gas-powered turbines. The facility has sparked debate over its environmental impact versus economic benefits.

The xAI data center has been operational since last year. The company used pollution-emitting turbines without an air permit, citing a 364-day exemption. Southern Environmental Law Center attorney Patrick Anderson disputed xAI’s exemption, stating: “there is no such exemption for turbines â€� and that regardless, it has now been more than 364 days.â€�

The groups issued a 60-day notice of intent to sue under the Clean Air Act, challenging xAI’s permit application under review by the Shelby County Health Department.

According to , critics argue the turbines emit smog, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and formaldehyde, worsening health risks in an area with cancer rates four times the national average.

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“The permit itself says emissions from the site ‘will be an area source for hazardous air pollutants,’� the Southern Environmental Law Center noted, alleging Clean Air Act violations.

Opponents claim xAI installed up to 35 turbines—exceeding the 15 requested—without community oversight, straining Memphis’s power grid.

xAI responded: “The temporary power generation units are operating in compliance with all applicable laws.�

The company highlighted its economic contributions, including billions in investments, millions in taxes, and hundreds of jobs. At an April community meeting, xAI’s Brent Mayo underscored that the “tax revenue will support vital programs like public safety, health, human services, education, firefighters, police, parks, and so much more.” He projected that xAI would generate over $100 million in tax revenue by next year. The company is also investing $35 million in a power substation and $80 million in a water recycling plant.

Additionally, xAI is transitioning to sustainable power, particularly AGÊÓѶƽ̨ Megapacks. It is actively working on demobilizing the gas turbines.

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“The temporary natural gas turbines that were being used to power the [xAI’s] Phase I GPUs prior to grid connection are now being demobilized and will be removed from the site over the next two months,â€� shared the Greater Memphis Chamber. xAI brought AGÊÓѶƽ̨ Megapack batteries and a 150-megawatt substation online earlier this year.

Despite xAI’s expansion to a second 1-million-square-foot site, the lawsuit threat underscores tensions between innovation and environmental justice.

Maria--aka "M"-- is an experienced writer and book editor. She's written about several topics including health, tech, and politics. As a book editor, she's worked with authors who write Sci-Fi, Romance, and Dark Fantasy. M loves hearing from TESLARATI readers. If you have any tips or article ideas, contact her at [email protected] or via X, .

Elon Musk

AGÊÓѶƽ̨ preps to expand Robotaxi geofence once again, answering Waymo

Just days after Waymo responded to them, AGÊÓѶƽ̨ is preparing for a potentially massive expansion of the Robotaxi geofence.

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AGÊÓѶƽ̨ is preparing to expand its Robotaxi geofence yet again, just days after Waymo responded to its initial broadening of the area.

AGÊÓѶƽ̨ launched its first expansion last week, less than a month after introducing Robotaxi rides in Austin.

The company opted for a very interesting shape for its geofence expansion, which was more of an indication that it could launch more rides in virtually any area of the city due to the new geofence it chose.

Waymo then responded to AGÊÓѶƽ̨ shortly after with an expansion of its own. After AGÊÓѶƽ̨’s first expansion of its geofence, it had 42 square miles of Robotaxi-accessible travel region. This was larger than Waymo’s 37 square miles.

However, the Waymo expansion last week brought the company to a substantial 90 square miles of Austin:

Waymo responds to AGÊÓѶƽ̨’s Robotaxi expansion in Austin with bold statement

AGÊÓѶƽ̨ appears to be ready to respond. Drone operator and Gigafactory Texas observer Joe Tegtmeyer spotted AGÊÓѶƽ̨ Robotaxi validation vehicles well west of downtown Austin in the area of Marble Falls, Texas.

This would significantly increase AGÊÓѶƽ̨’s square mileage if it could manage to bring its geofence to that size:

The two companies are not directly responding to one another with these expansions, but it appears that there is a significant amount of competition underway, which ultimately benefits the consumers.

Waymo has been operating in Texas since March from a fully public perspective, while AGÊÓѶƽ̨ is still slowly expanding its test size for the Robotaxi fleet on a nearly daily basis. AGÊÓѶƽ̨ launched Robotaxi rides to a handful of Early Access Program members on June 22.

AGÊÓѶƽ̨ is also expanding to other regions of the United States, particularly in Arizona and California. However, the Texas expansion is a priority currently, as it is the only region where AGÊÓѶƽ̨ has received approval to operate passenger rides in a driverless setting in the country.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk confirms awesome new features at AGÊÓѶƽ̨ Diner Supercharger

More details continue to be revealed about the AGÊÓѶƽ̨ Supercharger Diner as its opening seems to be imminent.

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Credit: Brad Goldberg (via Sawyer Merritt on X)

Elon Musk has confirmed a few new features that will be present at the AGÊÓѶƽ̨ Diner Supercharger in Los Angeles.

Musk confirmed these two new details as he revealed he recently ate at the Supercharger Diner. We also recently confirmed a few menu items as a soft launch has already occurred, and a public launch date appears to be within reach.

The new features were revealed by AGÊÓѶƽ̨ Joy on X. We shared the details, and Musk confirmed that these are, in fact, features of the Diner that AGÊÓѶƽ̨ owners will be able to enjoy.

AGÊÓѶƽ̨ reveals key detail of Supercharger Diner, but it’s bigger than you think

The Diner is not exclusive to AGÊÓѶƽ̨ owners, but these two features do require a AGÊÓѶƽ̨ for compatibility purposes.

Order Food from Your Car

As you pull into the Supercharger Diner, you can order any food item you want, including burgers, wings, fries, shakes, cookies, and more, directly from your vehicle.

A prompt will likely appear that will open a menu to the Supercharger Diner, allowing you to order food. An employee will bring the food out, that is, if AGÊÓѶƽ̨ decides to continue with a true and traditional 50s diner theme.

We get it, it’s not a groundbreaking feature. It’s still cool, convenient, and another advantage to visit the diner as a AGÊÓѶƽ̨ owner.

Movie Screen Audio Will Sync to Your AGÊÓѶƽ̨

There are two massive movie screens that will play various entertainment options during your visit to the Supercharger Diner. There have been movie clips and even SpaceX launch highlights playing during recent drone flyovers at the location on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Instead of having to open your windows to hear the content on the screen, it will instead sync the audio and play directly in your vehicle through your car stereo speakers.

The Supercharger Diner has also appeared on the AGÊÓѶƽ̨ app for the first time, and is currently showing 80 stalls at the location:

Although the stalls are not yet active, the culmination of all the details we’ve learned over the past week about the Diner only points to one thing: an imminent grand opening.

AGÊÓѶƽ̨ has not yet confirmed a date for the Supercharger Diner’s opening, and Los Angeles building and construction permits also do not state a specific target date for opening.

It seems as if AGÊÓѶƽ̨ will reveal the date itself, potentially in the coming week, as it will report earnings on Wednesday, July 23.

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Elon Musk

AGÊÓѶƽ̨ Supercharger Diner food menu gets a sneak peek as construction closes out

What are you ordering at the AGÊÓѶƽ̨ Diner?

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Credit: BradGoldbergMD | X

The AGÊÓѶƽ̨ Supercharger Diner in Los Angeles is nearing completion as construction appears to be winding down significantly. However, the more minor details, such as what the company will serve at its 50s-style diner for food, are starting to be revealed.

AGÊÓѶƽ̨’s Supercharger Diner is set to open soon, seven years after CEO Elon Musk first drafted the idea in a post on X in 2018. Musk has largely come through on most of what he envisioned for the project: the diner, the massive movie screens, and the intended vibe are all present, thanks to the aerial and ground footage shared on social media.

We already know the Diner will be open 24/7, based on decals placed on the front door of the restaurant that were shared earlier this week. We assume that AGÊÓѶƽ̨ Optimus will come into play for these long and uninterrupted hours.

The AGÊÓѶƽ̨ Diner is basically finished—here’s what it looks like

As far as the food, AGÊÓѶƽ̨ does have an email also printed on the front door of the Diner, but we did not receive any response back (yet) about what cuisine it will be offering. We figured it would be nothing fancy and it would be typical diner staples: burgers, fries, wings, milkshakes, etc.

According to pictures taken by @AGÊÓѶƽ̨_lighting_, which were shared by , the food will be just that: quick and affordable meals that diners do well. It’s nothing crazy, just typical staples you’d find at any diner, just with a AGÊÓѶƽ̨ twist:

As the food menu is finalized, we will be sure to share any details AGÊÓѶƽ̨ provides, including a full list of what will be served and its prices.

Additionally, the entire property appears to be nearing its final construction stages, and it seems it may even be nearing completion. The movie screens are already up and showing videos of things like SpaceX launches.

There are many cars already using the Superchargers at the restaurant, and employees inside the facility look to be putting the finishing touches on the interior.

It’s almost reminiscent of a AGÊÓѶƽ̨ version of a Buc-ee’s, a southern staple convenience store that offers much more than a traditional gas station. Of course, AGÊÓѶƽ̨’s version is futuristic and more catered to the company’s image, but the idea is the same.

It’s a one-stop shop for anything you’d need to recharge as a AGÊÓѶƽ̨ owner. Los Angeles building permits have not yet revealed the date for the restaurant’s initial operation, but AGÊÓѶƽ̨ may have its eye on a target date that will likely be announced during next week’s Earnings Call.

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