Tennessee

Headline onlyWREG.com · Shelby Co., TN

Gubernatorial candidates discussed data center policy at a Tennessee Press Association forum, with Democratic nominee Jerri Green, Independents David Hatley and Lauren Pinkston, and Republican Marsha Blackburn proposing varying approaches to regulating data centers. Rutherford County recommended a 12-month moratorium on data center development in October.

MTSU Sidelines · Shelby Co., TN

A federal judge in Mississippi rejected xAI and MZX Tech's motion to dismiss an NAACP Clean Air Act lawsuit challenging gas turbines at a power plant serving the Colossus AI data center, finding the turbines are not exempt "mobile sources" and plaintiffs have legal standing to sue.

iTMunch · Shelby Co., TN

A federal judge denied xAI's motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the NAACP alleging the company operates turbines without proper permits and violates the Clean Air Act at its Memphis data center campus. The judge ruled the power plant providing electricity to the data center is not mobile and therefore subject to permitting requirements.

Engadget · Shelby Co., TN

Headline onlylocalmemphis.com · Shelby Co., TN

Headline onlyWKRN News 2 · Tennessee

Headline onlyThe Tennessean · Tennessee · also at Knoxville News Sentinel

Headline onlyThe Tennessean · Tennessee

Headline onlyThe Tennessean · Shelby Co., TN

Headline onlyBenzinga · Shelby Co., TN

A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit by the NAACP against xAI can proceed, rejecting the company's arguments that combustion turbines at its Colossus data center near Memphis are exempt from air permits. The NAACP alleges xAI operated at least 35 combustion turbines without proper preconstruction or operating permits.

NewsBytes · Shelby Co., TN

A federal judge allowed the NAACP's lawsuit against xAI to proceed, ruling the case has legal standing. The suit alleges xAI operated at least 35 combustion turbines at its Memphis-area data center without proper air permits, violating the Clean Air Act.

NewsBytes · Shelby Co., TN

A federal judge denied xAI's motion to dismiss an NAACP lawsuit alleging the company operated gas turbines at its Memphis-area Colossus data center without required air permits, violating the Clean Air Act. The judge ruled plaintiffs have statutory standing and the turbines are not exempt mobile sources.

TechCrunch · Shelby Co., TN

A federal judge in Mississippi rejected SpaceXAI's motion to dismiss an NAACP lawsuit alleging the company operated gas-fired turbines at its Memphis-area data centers without required air permits, violating the Clean Air Act. The judge found the plaintiffs have legal standing to sue and the turbines do not qualify as exempt mobile sources.

CNBC · Shelby Co., TN

A U.S. District Court in Mississippi denied xAI's motion to dismiss a Clean Air Act lawsuit filed by the NAACP, which alleges the company operates an unpermitted power plant supporting its Colossus 2 data center. The court rejected arguments that citizen suits were unconstitutional and that gas turbines were exempt from permitting requirements.

Earthjustice · Shelby Co., TN

Entergy Arkansas filed a request with state regulators to build two battery storage systems costing $550.6 million combined to support Google's expanding West Memphis data center. The 250-megawatt Driver BESS and 100-megawatt Jones Mill BESS are expected to be operational by June 2028.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Shelby Co., TN

Louisiana's governor has rebranded data centers as "digital factories" to address growing public opposition over their water and power consumption, similar to concerns that prompted Texas to issue a moratorium on such facilities. The state also announced a "Ratepayer and Community Protection Framework" requiring companies seeking tax exemptions to make commitments in workforce investment and grid improvements, though specific performance benchmarks remain unclear.

NOLA.com · Sumner Co., TN

Civil rights groups sued Elon Musk's Memphis xAI data centers alleging violations of the Clean Air Act due to emissions from 57 gas turbines. A federal judge ruled the EPA may intervene in the case but cannot unilaterally dismiss it, rejecting the Trump administration's attempt to terminate the litigation.

Above the Law · Shelby Co., TN

TVA no longer actively recruits data centers, as companies now voluntarily locate to the region. The utility placed data centers into a new higher rate class in August with approximately 10% higher fees and added special charges to protect other customers from their substantial power demands.

Chattanooga Times Free Press · Tennessee

Headline onlyBlack Agenda Report · Shelby Co., TN · also at Black Agenda Report

The NAACP and Young, Gifted & Green launched "Climate on Your Ballot," an election dashboard tracking 1,727 data centers nationwide, allowing residents to find candidates' positions on environmental issues like data center development, electricity costs, and water usage ahead of November elections.

Mother Jones · Shelby Co., TN

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga held a panel with data center experts to discuss development and impacts on communities. Panelists explained how data centers operate and their energy consumption, with TVA official Jared Mitchum noting that most TVA-served data centers are crypto mining facilities, while Jackson County official Nathan Lee highlighted positive economic effects from Google's data center in his county.

Local 3 News · Hamilton Co., TN

The NAACP sued xAI in 2025, alleging the company violated the Clean Air Act by building a methane gas plant near its South Memphis data center in a predominantly Black area already experiencing air pollution from industrial facilities. The lawsuit remains ongoing as communities nationwide challenge data center projects affecting vulnerable residents.

Yale Climate Connections · Shelby Co., TN

Three candidates—Democrat Jerri Green and independents David Hatley and Lauren Pinkston—discussed affordability, rural healthcare, education funding and data centers at a gubernatorial forum hosted by Middle Tennessee State University and the Tennessee Press Association. Republican frontrunner Sen. Marsha Blackburn declined to participate, instead hosting a simultaneous campaign rally.

Nashville Banner · Tennessee

Headline onlyThe Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Tennessee

Three of four major Tennessee gubernatorial candidates answered questions at a forum one week before the 2026 election on topics including school vouchers, data centers, and toll lanes. Republican nominee U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn declined to participate, continuing a pattern of GOP candidates avoiding debates in the state.

Tennessee Lookout · Tennessee

The NAACP and Young, Gifted & Green launched "Climate on Your Ballot," an election dashboard tracking 1,727 data centers nationwide to help residents find candidates' positions on environmental issues affecting their communities. The tool allows users to explore data centers near their homes and request answers from candidates about concerns including electricity costs, water usage, and pollution risks.

Capital B News · Shelby Co., TN · also at Yahoo

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners deferred voting on two data center-related ordinances Monday, following Memphis City Council's passage of a 135-day pause on new data center approvals. Commissioners cited a need for additional time to gather community and expert feedback on proposals addressing resource costs and a potential moratorium.

Memphis Flyer · Shelby Co., TN

The NAACP launched an electoral tracker dashboard allowing voters to examine nearly 2,800 data center projects nationwide and view candidate responses on environmental impacts. The tool helps voters in 17 states assess candidates' stances on data center development and related environmental issues affecting their communities.

Word In Black · Shelby Co., TN

Memphis city council held a public listening session on proposed data center regulations, with most speakers supporting new rules while others urged higher community benefit payments. Council members said requiring increased payments would need state-level action to avoid legal challenges.

Action News 5 · Tennessee