Musk’s xAI is being sued over its data center generators — now it’s buying $2.8B more

马斯克的 xAI 因数据中心发电机被起诉，如今又斥资 28 亿美元加购

Elon Musk’s xAI has gotten itself in hot water over its use of polluting generators at its data center near Memphis, Tennessee. Now it wants to buy even more of them. 埃隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）旗下的 xAI 公司因在田纳西州孟菲斯附近的数据中心使用污染性发电机而陷入困境。然而，该公司现在计划购买更多的发电机。

In SpaceX’s IPO filing, released Wednesday, the company said its xAI division will buy another $2.8 billion worth of turbines for its AI infrastructure over the next three years. One deal, worth $2 billion, is specifically for “mobile gas turbines,” the kind that it’s currently being sued over. 在周三发布的 SpaceX IPO（首次公开募股）文件中，该公司表示其 xAI 部门将在未来三年内斥资 28 亿美元，为其人工智能基础设施购买涡轮机。其中一笔价值 20 亿美元的交易专门用于购买“移动式燃气轮机”，这正是目前导致该公司被起诉的设备类型。

The NAACP filed a lawsuit against xAI last month for operating dozens of unregulated gas turbines that worsen the air quality in one of the most polluted parts of the country. The organization has sought an injunction against xAI’s use of the turbines. 美国全国有色人种协进会（NAACP）上个月对 xAI 提起诉讼，指控其运营数十台未经监管的燃气轮机，加剧了该国污染最严重地区之一的空气质量恶化。该组织已寻求禁令，要求 xAI 停止使用这些涡轮机。

So far, xAI has been granted permits for 15 turbines. As of a few weeks ago, it was using 46. Each of the types of turbines xAI is operating have the potential to emit more than 2,000 tons of NOx pollution annually, a group of chemicals that contributes to asthma-inducing smog. 到目前为止，xAI 仅获得了 15 台涡轮机的许可。但截至几周前，该公司实际正在运行 46 台。xAI 所运营的这类涡轮机，每台每年可能排放超过 2000 吨的氮氧化物（NOx）污染物，这类化学物质是导致哮喘性雾霾的元凶之一。

The company claims that it can operate the turbines for up to a year without permits because they are “mobile” — that is, they’re still on the trailer they were shipped on. The company appears to be exploiting a discrepancy between state and federal interpretations. 该公司声称，由于这些涡轮机是“移动式”的（即它们仍安装在运输时的拖车上），因此可以在没有许可证的情况下运行长达一年。该公司似乎正在利用州政府与联邦政府在法规解读上的差异。

Mississippi claims it doesn’t need to permit mobile generators. But federal regulations say that turbines of that size, even if they’re on a trailer, are still subject to air-pollution regulations. The EPA ruled earlier this year that xAI was operating the turbines in violation of federal law. 密西西比州声称无需为移动式发电机发放许可证。但联邦法规规定，即使安装在拖车上，此类规模的涡轮机仍须遵守空气污染法规。美国环保署（EPA）今年早些时候裁定，xAI 运营这些涡轮机的行为违反了联邦法律。

SpaceX acknowledges the risks in its IPO filing. “We currently rely significantly on natural gas and gas turbine technology to power our data center operations,” it wrote. Injunctions or rescinded permits “would adversely affect our AI business.” SpaceX 在其 IPO 文件中承认了这些风险。该公司写道：“我们目前在很大程度上依赖天然气和燃气轮机技术来为我们的数据中心运营供电。”如果遭遇禁令或许可证被撤销，“将对我们的 AI 业务产生不利影响。”