The xAI files
An investigation by Rachel Hurley · Memphis and Southaven

Did xAI follow the rules? Did the agencies do their jobs? Is anyone even capable of overseeing all of this?

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The records war

Who I asked, when, and what came back

Every records request filed in this investigation, with where it stands. A filled dot is the day it was filed. A hollow dot is the date the agency itself gave. The red line is today.

The records themselves

Read what came back

The records agencies have sent back are going into a public archive, one file at a time. Search any word, open any file, and see whether anyone has gone through it yet.

Open the archive →
83 filed28 answered with records41 waiting on the agency2 past due12 closed or referred
JulAugSepOctNovDec
today

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Attendance data, 38109 schools0003297
Records produced in part. Follow-up questions are with the district.

Tennessee Department of Health

Asthma ER data 38109 and 38106
Fee estimate accepted. Waiting on the data and the invoice. Their date was October 16.

TDEC

Complaint records, the thirteen families questionID-14900
Answered in writing.
Maxson reuse permits and capacityID-14969
Answered by referral, no records produced.
Construction General Permit and construction stormwaterID-15032
Answered by referral, no records produced.
SOP-24025 combined follow-up: final-draft markup, agreements, hearing record, drawings, wetlands
Filed, awaiting a reply. Their date was October 9.

MDEQ (Mississippi)

Southaven permit file and complaints
Records produced.
Turbine serials, 12-month clocks, swap records
Answered in writing. Records produced in part; some withheld as attorney work product.
The July 30, 2026 turbine removal agreement
Answered in writing. Records produced in part; some withheld as attorney work product.
Turbine removal reports since 8/1 and the Permit Board appeal file
Records produced in part, through MDEQ's shared folder. The Permit Board hearing is set for November 10.
The two August 10, 2026 Clean Water Act warning letters and the MSR109658 stormwater file
Records produced.
FC&E contract, invoices and who paid for the MZX permit work
Records produced in part.
Filings under Commissioner Gipson's July 14, 2026 data center memo
Answered October 2 and October 20, 2026. MDEQ holds one record that refers to the memo, SpaceXAI's August 28, 2026 letter.
MDEQ's log of public records requests since January 2024
Filed, awaiting a reply.
Follow-up: who wrote and who paid for the Southaven permit work, and the Gipson memo
Answered in part October 20, 2026. MDEQ sent FC&E Engineering's general air-permitting work order, said MZX Tech did not choose to pay for the contractor's review, and said FC&E was used under MDEQ's standing contract. It also said SpaceXAI's August 28 letter is the only record it holds that refers to the Gipson memo. The rest is still to come.
The Shelby County 60 km emissions inventory MDEQ made for Trinity in March 2025
Answered: the agency showed the file was already in records it produced earlier.

EPA

Oversight and enforcement2026-EPA-06630
Records produced in part. EPA expects to finish by March 1, 2027.
The 411K monitor grant2026-EPA-06631
Records produced.
Previously-released records - the Memphis file, requested seven times2026-EPA-07701
Records produced.
Previously-released records - three air-office calendars2026-EPA-07702
Closed by EPA: it says none of the six earlier calendar requests has had records released yet.
Previously-released records - the COMET petition file2026-EPA-07703
Records produced.
Previously-released records - CTC Property documents held by the Administrator's office2026-EPA-07750
Acknowledged, no records yet. Their date is December 14.
EPA's KARNO determination for Hyliion - the file behind it2026-EPA-07757
First partial answer: EPA pointed me to its reading room for two items and withheld the company's technical brief; the rest is still in process. Their date was October 8.
Previously-released records - nine more requests about the Memphis and Stateline facilities2026-EPA-07758
Answered. The earlier requests it asked about had produced no records.
The Riverview monitor grant - what EPA never searched2026-EPA-07760
EPA extended its answer to December 15, 2026. Their date is December 15.
Previously-released records - EPA's split of one request by office2026-EPA-07794
Filed, awaiting a reply. Their date was October 8.
Appeal to EPA for faster processing and a fee waiver2027-EPA-00466
Filed, awaiting a reply.

TVA

Colossus power contract and NEPAFR_0253_26
The agency asked for a clarification; the clarified request is back with it. Their date was October 1.
Tulane Road power supply arrangementFR_0258_26
Filed, awaiting a reply. Their date was October 9.
Reclaimed water to the Allen plant from the Colossus Water Recycling PlantFR_0337_26
Acknowledged, no records yet. Their date is October 22.
TVA's FOIA request log since January 2024FR_0010_27
Filed, awaiting a reply.
Any non-disclosure agreement TVA signed with xAI's CTC PropertyFR_0015_27
Filed, awaiting a reply. Their date is November 13.

DeSoto County (Mississippi)

Darana liens, chancery case file, Texas Gas easements
Closed by the agency and referred elsewhere.
Darana v MZX complaint, cause 2026-523
Answered by referral to the court's online records system, no records produced.

State Fire Marshal

Jurisdiction and audits
Records produced.

State Open Records Counsel

State Open Records Counsel review of four MLGW requests22105
Filed, awaiting a reply.
Follow-up on five City requests re-dated with no records22197
Answered in writing.

City of Southaven (Mississippi)

Tax and incentive agreements, noise limits and site approvals at the Stanton Road plant
Filed, awaiting a reply. Their date was October 16.
Nondisclosure agreements Southaven officials signed on the xAI project
Filed, awaiting a reply. Their date was October 16.
Jerry Street Park noise monitors, the police grant and donation, and the city's outside lawyers
Filed, awaiting a reply. Their date was October 19.

Port Commission (EDGE)

The Port Commission director's calendar for the March 28, 2024 meeting
Records produced in part.
The xAI lease at Pidgeon Industrial Park and EDGE's file on recruiting xAI
The agency wants an estimated $3,000 paid before it produces anything. I asked for the cost item by item.

MLGW

Correspondence, cutoff notices, billingPRR-2026-997
Past due. No records, no date given. Now under review by the state Open Records Counsel. Their date was September 16.
Interconnection and export configurationPRR-2026-1003
Records produced in part.
Water side contracts and consumptionPRR-2026-1009
Past due. No records, no date given. Now under review by the state Open Records Counsel. Their date was September 16.
How signature authority is verified on easementsPRR-2026-1031
Records produced.
Notices to CTC Property and xAI under the NDA before answering records requestsPRR-2026-1288
Filed, awaiting a reply. Their date was October 1.
Gas service to the xAI campusesPRR-2026-1348
Filed, awaiting a reply. Their date was October 9.

Shelby County

Turbine compliance records and the complete permit fileA17493-26
Records produced in part.
Commission Clerk, TVA-MLGW resolution
Records produced in part.
Assessor - xAI assessments and leased equipment
Answered by referral, no records produced.
The complete Tulane Road turbine permit fileA17510-26
Records produced in part.
Hazard Mitigation Plan and battery storageA17508-26
Answered in writing.
SCHD correspondence and the monitor grant fileA17494-26
Records produced in part.
Board of Equalization - xAI appeals and reviews
Records produced in part.
The Health Department's Tulane Road turbine permit and notice fileA17606-26
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 28.
Notices the county sent xAI about two records requests
Answered in writing.
Tulane Road battery permits, inspections and site plan review
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date was October 16.
County staff calendars for the March 28, 2024 meetingA17588-26
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 22.
Signed non-disclosure agreements between the Sheriff's Office and xAI's CTC Property
Produced October 16th, after saying on October 8th it had no records: one email chain - the Chamber sent the NDA to police, the Sheriff, the FBI and Homeland Security. No signed copy came with it.
The air board's December 15, 2025 minutes, order and vote on the Colossus 1 appealA17601-26
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 28.
The Health Department's March 2024 turbine review, EPA's reply, and the time-limit commitments for the temporary turbinesA17608-26
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 29.

City of Memphis

Fire records - Megapack fire-safety fileW044967-070226
The City closed this as filled, but the set offered for pick-up was pipe drawings for the water plant, not the battery file. The City's records office has been asked to send the right files. Nothing has been paid.
Wastewater and pretreatmentW045218-072126
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 21.
Correspondence with xAI entitiesW045219-072126
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is November 2.
Plant Rd appraisal, PSA and Ord 5953W045220-072126
Records produced in part. My follow-up on the missing item is with the City.
COM-NEW-26-000102 fileW045262-072326
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 22.
Building permit, plan review and high-voltage fee schedulesW045458-072926
Closed by the agency and referred elsewhere.
The four opaque ROW recordsW045457-072926
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 23.
Battery pre-incident planning and response capacityW045456-072926
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 22.
Tulane Road battery-yard permits, inspections and site plan reviewW046330-090426
Closed by the agency and referred elsewhere.
Notifications to xAI about the battery records requests W044967 and W045456W046365-090926
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 26.
Council Records 2B-08 - the Ordinance 5882 withdrawal record and 45 archived speaker cardsW046366-090926
The City closed this with another request's files. I asked it to reopen the request on October 8th and haven't heard back. Their date was October 8.
The Paul Lowry Extension study level, coordination plan, the 27 August cancellation and the 8 September pauseW046367-090926
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 21.
The June 2025 EnSafe air sampling contract, scope and full resultsW046368-090926
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 23.
The March 28, 2024 calendars of Adams, Knecht, Faulkner and ZeanahW046961-092326
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 28.
The March 28, 2024 calendar of MPD Deputy Chief Joe OakleyW046962-092326
Extended by the agency, no records yet. Their date is October 28.
Council Records 2B-08 - the three unread instruments - Ord 5947, Ord 5986, and the instrument Green says existsW046963-092326
Answered in writing - the Council's records office says it has none archived.
Signed non-disclosure agreements between Memphis police and xAI's CTC PropertyW047488-100726
Answered October 15th: the City found no responsive records. My other questions are now a second request.
911 and dispatch calls for service at the xAI Colossus 1 siteW047555-100926
On hold at the agency pending paperwork or a fee. Their date was October 16.
Did the Memphis City Council ever approve the Port Commission's lease to xAI's company?W047672-101526
Filed, awaiting a reply. Their date is October 22.
Signed non-disclosure agreements between Memphis police and xAI's CTC Property (second request)W047679-101526
Acknowledged, no records yet. Their date is October 22.
The March 28, 2024 calendars of Scott Morgan, Angelo Lamar and Eric RobinsonW047722-101926
Filed, awaiting a reply. Their date is October 28.

Filed July 2 onward. Statuses as of October 21; the red line is the day you are reading this. Each request has its own note in the investigation file; when an essay uses what came back, that record is pinned to the board above.

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