一名联邦法官驳回了 xAI 要求驳回美国全国有色人种协进会（NAACP）诉讼的动议，该诉讼指控这家由 SpaceX 拥有的公司未能获得在孟菲斯郊外 Colossus 数据中心为燃气轮机供电所需的许可。
A federal judge denied a motion by xAI seeking to dismiss an NAACP lawsuit accusing the SpaceX-owned company of failing to obtain permits needed to operate the gas turbines powering its Colossus data center outside Memphis.
代表 NAACP 提起诉讼的南方环境法律中心称，这家 AI 公司“在从未获得必要的预建设或运营空气许可的情况下，在 Colossus 场地安装并运行了至少 35 台燃烧轮机和其他空气污染源。” 该中心还指控 xAI 违反了《清洁空气法》。
Suing on behalf of the NAACP, the Southern Environmental Law Center said the AI company had “installed and operated at least 35 combustion turbines and other sources of air pollution at the Colossus site without ever obtaining the necessary preconstruction or operating air permits.”It also accused xAI of violating the Clean Air Act.
xAI 试图让诉讼被驳回，声称这些轮机因属于移动设备而免于许可要求。公司还辩称原告没有起诉资格。
xAI sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, claiming that the turbines are exempt from permitting requirements because they’re mobile. The company also argued that the plaintiffs did not have the standing to sue.
“因为原告根据《清洁空气法》享有法定起诉资格，因为根据密西西比州的《州实施计划》，这些燃烧轮机不属于‘移动源’，且公民诉讼条款并不违反宪法第二条或私人非授权原则，原告的诉讼请求将继续进行，”法官 Debra M. Brown 在裁决中写道。
“Because the plaintiffs have statutory standing under the Clean Air Act, because the combustion turbines are not ‘mobile sources’ under Mississippi’s [State Implementation Plan], and because the citizen suit provision does not violate Article II of the Constitution or the private nondelegation doctrine, the plaintiffs’ claims will proceed,” Judge Debra M. Brown wrote in her decision.
针对 xAI 关于此类公民诉讼违宪的主张，Brown 法官写道：“因为公民诉讼原告以自己的名义、代表自己提起诉讼，并寻求补偿自身受到损害的罚款，他们并非在行使联邦政府的行政权力。” TechCrunch 已联系 SpaceX 置评。
Focusing on xAI’s claim that these kinds of citizen lawsuits are unconstitutional, Judge Brown wrote, “Because citizen suit plaintiffs sue on their own behalf, in their own name, and seek penalties that redress harm to themselves, they are not exercising the federal government’s executive power.”TechCrunch has reached out to SpaceX for comment.
在一份声明中，美国全国有色人种协进会（NAACP）环境与气候正义主任阿布雷·康纳（Abre’ Connor）将此描述为“我们在追究 xAI 责任的努力中取得的又一重要胜利”（美国司法部此前本月早些时候提出的类似驳回动议已被驳回）。康纳说：“法院一再驳回 xAI 和司法部试图驳回 NAACP《清洁空气法》诉讼的企图，确认了我们为受污染影响的社区追求正义的权利。我们的立场很明确：xAI 不能在没有所需许可的情况下运行燃气轮机。”
In a statement, the NAACP’s director of environmental and climate justice Abre’ Connor described this as “another important victory in our effort to hold xAI accountable.” (A similar motion to dismiss from the Department of Justice was denied earlier this month)“The courts have repeatedly rejected attempts by xAI and the DOJ to dismiss the NAACP’s Clean Air Act case, affirming our right to pursue justice for communities impacted by pollution,” Connor said. “Our position has been clear: xAI cannot operate gas turbines without the required permits.”
随着舆论似乎急剧转向反对数据中心，NAACP 的诉讼正在推进，纽约州最近通过了暂停新建数据中心的禁令，其他州和地方政府也在考虑采取类似措施。
The NAACP lawsuit is moving forward as public opinion seems to have turned sharply against data centers, with New York recently passing a moratorium on new data centers and other state and local governments considering similar measures.
这种反弹还促使亚马逊和微软承诺在与政府机构的交易中停止使用保密协议（NDA），并可能成为即将到来的美国中期选举的一个重要因素。
The backlash also prompted Amazon and Microsoft to promise to stop using NDAs in their dealings with government agencies, and it could be a significant factor in the imminent U.S. midterm elections.