MEMPHIS: Residents of a predominantly Black community in Memphis are challenging the environmental impact of a major artificial intelligence data centre, raising concerns over air pollution, water use and noise.
The Colossus I facility, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI, relies on gas turbines to provide the enormous computing power required for advanced AI systems.
Residents of Boxtown and surrounding South Memphis communities say the development adds to decades of industrial pollution in the area.
“This community of Boxtown and South Memphis as a whole historically just has been the subject of environmental neglect,” 17-year-old activist Jasmine Bernard told the media.
SpaceXAI said its mobile turbines use advanced emission-control technologies and that monitoring indicates local air quality meets or exceeds US Environmental Protection Agency standards.
Water and noise concerns
Environmental campaigners have also raised concerns about water consumption. Sarah Houston of Protect Our Aquifer said Colossus I pumps around 1.2 million gallons of groundwater daily from the aquifer supplying Memphis with drinking water.
Meanwhile, residents near Colossus II in neighbouring Mississippi have complained about continuous noise generated by dozens of turbines powering the facility.
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“The noise is 24/7,” resident Krystal Polk said.
Environmental group Earthjustice, representing the NAACP in legal action against SpaceXAI, maintains that turbines were installed without necessary permits. The company has described the units as temporary.
SpaceXAI said in July that the turbines would eventually be dismantled and replaced with a compliant power plant, with the transition expected by July 2027.
Despite the opposition, Colossus I generated $12 million in tax revenue, according to 2026 figures. Memphis Mayor Paul Young has proposed directing $3.35 million towards affected communities.
Residents, however, are seeking greater consultation as additional data centres are developed in the region.
