Researchers say satellite observations have revealed unexpectedly high nitrogen oxide emissions around the Colossus 2 AI data center power facility in Southaven, Mississippi. The study used measurements from the TEMPO satellite instrument to compare pollution before and after on-site natural-gas turbines began operating in late 2025.
TEMPO first detected the facility’s NOx emissions in December 2025 at an estimated 460 ±180 kilograms per hour. After February 2026, researchers estimated an average of approximately 730 ±185 kilograms per hour, with emissions continuing to increase through the study period.
The researchers calculated that this average was roughly 16 times higher than the approximately 47 kilograms per hour they expected from 41 turbines operating according to requirements in the facility’s March 2026 permit. The satellite estimates were calibrated using emissions-monitoring data from existing U.S. power plants.
The findings do not by themselves establish a regulatory violation; they are satellite-derived estimates reported in a research preprint. But the study demonstrates how new satellite technology could independently monitor pollution associated with rapidly expanding AI infrastructure, particularly as data centers increasingly rely on on-site natural-gas generation.
