Techub News, citing CryptoBriefing, reported that at least 57 off-grid natural gas projects in the United States are powering AI data centers, with total installed capacity of 73 gigawatts. The report says most of these projects bypass public oversight and environmental review, placing emissions and nearby community health risks at the center of regulatory and legal objections.
xAI’s Colossus 2 site and legal action
According to the report, xAI’s Colossus 2 site is equipped with 27 gas turbines and emits more than 1,700 tons of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides each year. In April this year, the Southern Environmental Law Center and other organizations filed a lawsuit seeking to shut down xAI’s operations in Mississippi. The facilities described in the report are different from emergency diesel generators because they are used for continuous power supply rather than backup use.
The report also states that at least 11 similar projects have annual greenhouse gas emissions that could exceed 129 million tons, creating health risks for surrounding communities. The dispute centers on how AI data centers obtain electricity, how much public review these off-grid gas projects receive, and whether environmental scrutiny is being avoided as these facilities keep running.