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AITechCrunch1:21 AM

Why it mattersA new Apple CEO's interview remarks defending its AI pace and sidestepping the agents-replacing-apps question are positioning, not a concrete shift in power, behavior, or rules.

PolicyTechCrunch12:38 AM

Why it mattersA federal judge rejected xAI's argument that its mobile gas turbines need no permits and that citizen suits are unconstitutional, strengthening community enforcement of Clean Air Act limits on AI data center power, though this is a procedural ruling and the c…

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Policyvia TechCrunchToday · 12:38 AM

Judge Allows NAACP Lawsuit Over xAI Data Center Pollution to Move Forward

Audio brief

What happened

A federal judge has rejected xAI's bid to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the NAACP, which accuses the SpaceX-owned AI company of running gas turbines at its Colossus data center outside Memphis without the required air permits.

Why it matters

xAI had argued that the turbines are exempt from permitting because they are mobile, and that the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue.

In detail

The Southern Environmental Law Center, representing the NAACP, says xAI installed and operated at least 35 combustion turbines and other pollution sources at the site without obtaining preconstruction or operating permits, and alleges violations of the Clean Air Act.

Judge Brown found that the plaintiffs have statutory standing under the Clean Air Act and that the turbines are not "mobile sources" under Mississippi's State Implementation Plan.

The judge also rejected xAI's claim that citizen suits are unconstitutional, writing that plaintiffs who sue in their own name and seek penalties for harm to themselves are not exercising the federal government's executive power.

The NAACP's Abre' Connor called the ruling "another important victory" and said xAI cannot operate gas turbines without the required permits.

TechCrunch has asked SpaceX for comment.

The case moves ahead as public sentiment toward data centers appears to have soured. A similar motion to dismiss from the Department of Justice was denied earlier this month. New York recently passed a moratorium on new data centers, and other state and local governments are weighing similar steps. The backlash has also led Amazon and Microsoft to promise to stop using nondisclosure agreements in dealings with government agencies, and it could be a significant factor in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections.

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Judge Allows NAACP Lawsuit Over xAI Data Center Pollution to Move Forward

Audio brief

What happened

Why it matters

xAI had argued that the turbines are exempt from permitting because they are mobile, and that the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue.

In detail

Judge Brown found that the plaintiffs have statutory standing under the Clean Air Act and that the turbines are not "mobile sources" under Mississippi's State Implementation Plan.

The NAACP's Abre' Connor called the ruling "another important victory" and said xAI cannot operate gas turbines without the required permits.

TechCrunch has asked SpaceX for comment.

Get stories like this every morning.

Importance90out of 100High importance

An automated editorial system rates every story from 0 to 100 for its significance. Only stories above a strict threshold are published; the higher the score, the greater the importance.

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Apple CEO Says Company Won't Ship AI 'for AI's Sake

Judge Allows NAACP Lawsuit Over xAI Data Center Pollution to Move Forward

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Apple CEO Says Company Won't Ship AI 'for AI's Sake

Judge Allows NAACP Lawsuit Over xAI Data Center Pollution to Move Forward

The day's important stories, every morning