XAI installs 8 modified 747 engine turbines... Environmental groups appeal permit

xAI has installed eight gas turbines converted from Boeing 747 aircraft engines at its Southaven, Mississippi site to power the Colossus 2 AI data center near Memphis, Tennessee, according to New York Times reporting that cross-referenced state permit documents with satellite imagery. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality issued a construction permit on March 11 covering 41 gas turbines at the Southaven generating facility, eight of which are ProEnergy units built from repurposed aircraft engines. The move reflects a broader pattern of data center operators building on-site generation while they wait for grid interconnection. It matters because the arrangement lets xAI secure power for its AI training buildout outside standard utility queues, though the permit is being challenged by environmental groups. What to watch next is whether that appeal delays operation of the eight turbines and whether xAI expands self-generation across the Colossus 2 campus.