Trump administration moves to block Clean Air Act lawsuit against xAI, citing military needs
The US Department of Justice has asked a federal judge to dismiss an NAACP lawsuit against Elon Musk’s xAI, arguing that the case threatens national security and AI innovation.
The Trump administration is intervening in a Clean Air Act lawsuit against Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI, filed by the NAACP in April. The lawsuit alleges that xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech operated 27 gas turbines without an air permit in Southaven, Mississippi. According to a June 12 filing, the number of unpermitted turbines rose to 57 by mid-May, with plans for two more. The turbines are part of the “Colossus Gas Plant,” which powers xAI’s Colossus 2 data center, which in turn runs the Grok chatbot. The NAACP claims the turbines have caused health concerns and noise complaints.
In a filing yesterday, US Department of Justice lawyers urged a federal judge to dismiss the case. They cited a determination by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality that the turbines do not require permits. The filing also argues that the lawsuit threatens “artificial-intelligence innovation, plus the energy needed to power it,” and that “the NAACP’s attempt to cut off the power that supports Grok also threatens national security because… Grok provides critical support for the Department of War’s military operations.”
The US filing includes a declaration by Cameron Stanley, chief digital and artificial intelligence officer for the Department of War, stating that the Grok Gov Model was used during Operation Epic Fury to aid targeted strikes in Iran. According to Stanley, the model allowed US forces to “deploy over 2,000 munitions to 2,000 distinct targets within 96 hours,” a capability he says is unique to Grok. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), representing the NAACP, criticized the administration’s move, saying “the US is arguing that xAI should be allowed to break the law solely because the Trump administration says so.”
