Pearson leads protest against xAI turbines in Memphis
by: Harrison Klopp
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As Elon Musk’s xAI is looking for permits to run gas turbines at their Memphis supercomputer, many are upset about the pollution those turbines might bring.
Wednesday, state Rep. Justin J. Pearson (D-Memphis) held a rally outside the health department.
Right now the Shelby County Health Department is deciding on granting Elon Musk and xAI permits to use their gas turbines in the Boxtown neighborhood of southwest Memphis, something Pearson and his constituents couldn’t be further against.
“I don’t care if it was Barack Hussein Obama or if Jesus the living Christ was leading this project for xAI, I’d be against it,” one protester said.
Another said, “Shelby County has fallen down on their responsibility. They should have shut this facility down as soon as they started running these turbines without a permit.”
And while many from South Memphis are leading the charge against xAI, support is coming from all over, including 20-year-old college sophomore Orion Overstreet, who has organized everything from concerts to bake sales to raise money for the Boxtown Neighborhood Association.
“We want our futures to be here, and if our futures are going to be here, then we have to fight like hell against this, because this is going to affect all of us,” she said.
During a committee meeting Wednesday, county commissioners recommended TVA and MLGW share an update on the next steps that would be needed for xAI to move to their operation to the electric grid.
But whatever happens going forward many in South Memphis say they just want to be treated equally.
“We deserve clean air, clean water, clean soil just like they have in Collierville, just like they have in Germantown, just like these other zip codes where the majority of people are white,” said KeShaun Pearson, president of Memphis Community Against Pollution.
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