WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senior Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone has demanded documents and answers from Elon Musk regarding the environmental and public health impact of xAI's Colossus artificial intelligence data centre operations in Tennessee and Mississippi.
Pallone, the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, sent a letter to Musk requesting information on the turbines used at the Colossus 1 and Colossus 2 facilities, emissions data, permitting records and communications with government officials.
He also sought analyses related to the facilities' emissions, electricity consumption and water usage, and requested a visit to the sites with committee staff.
The New Jersey congressman said SpaceX, which the letter identifies as owning xAI, had failed to provide sufficient information during a meeting with committee staff last month. He accused the company of showing "disregard for the health and well-being of local communities."
The request comes amid increasing scrutiny of the growing energy demands and environmental effects of AI data centres as technology companies rapidly expand computing capacity.
Earlier this month, Reuters reported that xAI had installed 59 natural gas turbines for its Colossus 2 project without obtaining federal clean-air permits, citing communications between regulators and company representatives.
According to the Reuters report, the turbines are located near predominantly Black communities, and their potential emissions exceed thresholds that would normally require federal permits.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.