Memphis, Shelby County, TN
xAI Colossus
Also known as Colossus 1, SpaceXAI Colossus
- Rumored
- Proposed
- Approved
- Under construction
- Operating
xAI's first Colossus AI supercomputer, in a 785,000-sq-ft former Electrolux plant on Paul R. Lowry Road in South Memphis, which began operating in September 2024 and trains the Grok model. The site draws grid power via MLGW/TVA and on-site gas turbines; the Shelby County Health Department permitted 15 turbines in July 2025 after advocates documented up to 35 operating, and the NAACP and others appealed; the Memphis and Shelby County Air Pollution Control Board dismissed the appeals as moot in December 2025. A separate, larger Colossus 2 site in Memphis's Whitehaven area is tracked as its own record.
Key facts
Size & schedule
| Planned capacity | 250 MW [1] Reported maximum consumption; 150 MW grid connection from Nov. 2024 |
|---|---|
| Floor area | 785,000 sq ft [1] |
Power
| Utility | Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) / TVA [5] |
|---|---|
| Power supply | MLGW/TVA grid plus on-site gas turbines (15 permitted, 247.2 MW) and Tesla Megapacks [2] |
Water
| Water permit | TDEC Division of Water Resources operating permit issued to CTC Property LLC for the Colossus Water Recycling Plant, 3231 Paul R. Lowry Road (up to 13 million gallons per day of aquifer water preserved) [9] TDEC described CTC Property LLC as a separate legal entity from the xAI data center Source excerpt“A state operating permit has been issued for the Colossus Water Recycling Plant located on 3231 Paul R. Lowry Road. The permit was issued to CTC Property LLC by the Tennessee's Department of Environment and Conservation's Division of Water Resources(TDEC).” |
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Money & incentives
| Payments / community benefits | Memphis Community Benefit Ordinance data center property tax: 25% spent on communities within five miles of data centers; $3.28 million in FY2026 revenue proposed for the area near Colossus I [8]Source excerpt“Twenty-five percent will be spent directly on the communities that lie within a five-mile radius of data centers.” |
|---|
Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.
Timeline
xAI announces 'world's largest supercomputer' in Memphis and begins installing gas turbines [4]
Colossus begins operations with 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs [1]
TVA approves 100+ MW grid access; connection upgraded to 150 MW [1]
xAI announces Colossus 2 expansion at Tulane Road site in Whitehaven [4]
Aerial imaging shows 35 turbines operating, per SELC [4]
Shelby County Health Department approves permit for 15 gas turbines through Jan. 1, 2027 (DCD reports July 1 meeting) [3]
SELC, on behalf of NAACP Memphis and Young, Gifted & Green, appeals permit to Memphis and Shelby County Air Pollution Control Board [3]
Memphis and Shelby County Air Pollution Control Board dismisses appeals of the turbine permit as moot [7]
Issues raised
Sources
- Colossus (supercomputer)Wikipedia · other
- xAI granted permits for 15 gas turbines at Memphis data centerDatacenterDynamics · Jul 3, 2025 · news
- NAACP, others appeal xAI turbine permits for Memphis data centerTennessee Lookout · Jul 17, 2025 · news
- Inside Memphis' fight against xAISouthern Environmental Law Center · May 8, 2026 · other
- Memphis | SpaceXAI MemphisSpaceXAI · company
- The data center backlash comes for SpaceXAI's ColossusScientific American · Sep 9, 2026 · news
- Shelby Co. Air Pollution Control Board denies appeal over xAI's turbine use, citing 'mootness'Action News 5 · Dec 16, 2025 · news
- Memphis data center tax revenue to fund $3.28 million in community investments near xAI facilitiesTri-State Defender · Jul 24, 2026 · news
- State Issues Operating Permit for Colossus Water PlantMemphis Flyer · Jan 28, 2026 · news