Justice Department asks court to dismiss Clean Air Act lawsuit against xAI data center power plant

What is the lawsuit about?

The NAACP and other groups allege that xAI and a subsidiary set up and ran dozens of gas turbines for a Southaven, Mississippi, power plant without required air permits, violating the Clean Air Act Guardian,U.S. News & World R…. They say the emissions affect nearby neighborhoods and have asked the court to stop the turbines from operating CNBC,Star.

Why did the Justice Department say the case affects national security?

The department told the court that the turbines power AI infrastructure used by the U.S. military, and filings cited by several outlets say Grok-related systems were used in U.S. strikes on Iran NYT,Washington Post,Hindu. On that basis, the government argued that cutting power to the facility would threaten national, economic and energy security RTL.fr,NDTV.

What remains unresolved?

A federal judge still has to decide whether to let the Justice Department intervene and whether to dismiss the case NYT,Washington Post. The court also has not resolved the underlying dispute over whether xAI needed permits for the turbines and whether the federal government can block a citizen Clean Air Act suit in these circumstances Star,U.S. News & World R….