MEMPHIS, Tenn. — TVA's board on Thursday approved a request to provide more than 100 megawatts of power to the xAI Colossus supercomputer in southwest Memphis. xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, says it needs 150 MW of power to support the recently built computer, which powers the Grok AI tool on X, formerly Twitter. The computer's massive power needs — enough to power 100,000 homes, environmental groups say — are supplied by Memphis Light Gas & Water, which is TVA's largest customer. Could Trump’s win benefit Musk’s xAI in Memphis? TVA leaders say xAI has agreed to curtail electrical load at certain times in order for TVA and MLGW to make that power available on xAI's requested timeline. The company has also put into place an energy storage solution, and a recycled water solution to reduce aquifer usage by millions of gallons per day, TVA says. But several environmental groups, and some TVA board members Thursday, expressed concerns about the project's impact on the area, specifically its use of water from the Memphis aquifer and the use of gas turbines to provide electricity at the site. "Board members approved xAI’s application despite significant concerns that the facility will strain the federal utility’s power grid and that it is already worsening air quality in predominantly Black neighborhoods nearby," the Southern Poverty Law Center said. xAI supercomputer may need 1M gallons of water, plenty of power, group says TVA says the additional electrical load approval will reduce xAI's need to use those gas turbines. Community activist KeShaun Pearson, President of Memphis Community Against Pollution, slammed the TVA decision.  “The idea that anybody could come into Southwest Memphis, build a facility, not talk to the people and then be granted whatever it is they choose that they want — if it’s property, they got 522 acres from the EDGE board, if it’s power, just got stamped 150 MW of power resources from the Tennessee valley Authority," he said. Pearson argues TVA failed to study environmental implications and ignored concerns about gas turbines emitting hazardous chemicals.  “XAI has their own turbines that they are running, and what comes out of these turbines after you use the methane after it’s burned? What comes out of these turbines is nitrogen oxide and nitrogen, which is ground level ozone. What the ground level ozone does, it just makes it hard for you to breathe," Pearson said. "In Southwest Memphis we already have 96% of the criterion air particle pollution in Shelby County.” In a statement Tennessee Valley Authority said, “Part of TVA’s core mission is to work with partners to bring investment and jobs to communities across our region. In every case, we carefully review the details of each company’s proposal and the associated electricity demand needs. “We appreciate MLGW’s partnership. We are committed to providing all customers with affordable, reliable energy.”