Elon Musk says solar can power US but his data centers are turning to natural gas for power

Elon Musk often claims that solar energy can supply the nation's energy needs with only a small amount of land. It appears that doesn't apply to his data centers. 

Mississippi regulators Tuesday approved a plan by Elon Musk’s xAI to build a power plant at a facility in the town of Southhaven, which will provide the electricity for the company's nearby data centers. The power plant will contain 41 natural-gas turbines. 

Civil rights and environmental organizations, including the NAACP, opposed the plan, claiming the emissions will harm residents, CNBC reported. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said the draft permit met all the legal and technical requirements for approval. 

Data centers across the U.S. have turned to natural gas to provide power, and many new facilities are building their own power plants, as the grid is unable to scale up its supply of electricity fast enough to meet the demand.