In South Memphis, Elon Musk’s Colossus Operated Gas Turbines Without Appropriate Permits, Residents and Activists Claim

In an area long plagued by air pollution, permitting irregularities have opponents of what’s predicted to be the world’s largest supercomputing facility fearing the world’s richest man is getting special treatment.

By Jennifer Ugwa

July 18, 2025

In South Memphis, Elon Musk’s Colossus Operated Gas Turbines Without Appropriate Permits, Residents and Activists Claim

Steve Jones, Flight by Southwings for SELC

Latest Stories

In pictures: a San Antonio land bridge designed for wildlife and people

Despite Record Renewable Growth, China Is Still Betting on Coal

Exclusive: Iran sealed uranium cache and placed mines amid fears of US operation to seize material

Biscayne Bay Is Slowly Becoming the Ocean

‘Every day it’s more barriers’: how the US is shutting out climate refugees

Jennifer Ugwa is a first-year graduate student focused on investigative and narrative storytelling at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Jennifer is passionate about topics that intersect with environmental issues and social justice. Currently, she is exploring the effects of AI on the environment.

View Bio