According to Ars Technica, the Trump administration has intervened in a Clean Air Act lawsuit against xAI, arguing that the company's Grok AI system is essential for military operations. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed a lawsuit in April against xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech, accusing them of operating 27 gas turbines in Southaven, Mississippi without the required air permits, violating the Clean Air Act. xAI uses these turbines to power the supercomputer center that trains Grok.
In court filings, the U.S. government argued that the NAACP's lawsuit threatens the data center that supports Grok, and that Grok provides critical support for military operations under the "War Department." The filing specifically states that xAI's Grok Gov model assisted in precision strikes against Iran during "Operation Epic Fury." The U.S. government noted that the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has determined that the turbines do not require permits. However, the Southern Environmental Law Center, representing the NAACP, countered: "The government's demand is to allow xAI to break the law simply because the Trump administration says so."
