Floodlight50%
Video: We caught Elon Musk's AI company flouting EPA rules using a thermal drone 62%
By Evan Simon/Floodlight46%
3/6/2026, 9:07:29 AM
Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Environmental Protection Agency, Gas Turbines, Data Centers, Elon Musk, Xai
Keywords: Data Centers
BS Summary: This article contains 15 faulty reasoning types, including Recency Bias, Post Hoc (False Cause), and Unattributed Quote, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 40.3% saturation with 64 hits. Analysis detected 382 faulty-reasoning hits from 159 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 51.3% and a BS Rank of 62% (9,874 of 25,564 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 61.40% of the article peer group.
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, is continuing to fuel its data centers with unpermitted gas turbines, according to a Floodlight visual investigation.
Thermal drone footage captured in late January 2026, shows xAI running the unpermitted turbines at its custom built powerplant in Southaven, Miss., nearly two weeks after an Environmental Protection Agency ruling reiterated that doing so requires a state permit in advance.
The ad hoc gas plant's sole task is to power the datacenter behind Grok and is part of an increasing reliance among AI companies on fossil fuels.
Read the full investigation in our original story, co-published with The Guardian:
Curious how we pulled off this project?
Read our Q&A with reporter Evan Simon:
This investigation took months of reporting and specialized equipment.
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Make a donation to Floodlight and help us continue investigations like this one.
Confirmation Bias
0%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
3.5%PublicationFloodlight
3.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anchoring Bias
0%Anchoring Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.4%PublicationFloodlight
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Availability Heuristic
17%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
17%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
2%PublicationFloodlight
1.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
17%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
17%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.6%PublicationFloodlight
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hindsight Bias
0%Hindsight Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.4%PublicationFloodlight
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Overconfidence Bias
5.7%Overconfidence Bias
OverallThis article
5.7%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
1.2%PublicationFloodlight
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Framing Effect
8.8%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
8.8%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
9.1%PublicationFloodlight
6.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Loss Aversion
8.2%Loss Aversion
OverallThis article
8.2%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
1%PublicationFloodlight
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Status Quo Bias
0%Status Quo Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.5%PublicationFloodlight
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Sunk Cost Effect
0%Sunk Cost Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.1%PublicationFloodlight
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Optimism Bias
0%Optimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.4%PublicationFloodlight
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Pessimism Bias
0%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
2.7%PublicationFloodlight
1.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
40.3%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
40.3%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
7.1%PublicationFloodlight
7.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Self-Serving Bias
0%Self-Serving Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
1.3%PublicationFloodlight
2.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Fundamental Attribution Error
0%Fundamental Attribution Error
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.5%PublicationFloodlight
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Actor-Observer Bias
0%Actor-Observer Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.1%PublicationFloodlight
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
In-Group Bias
0%In-Group Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.2%PublicationFloodlight
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
0%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.1%PublicationFloodlight
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Halo Effect
0%Halo Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.6%PublicationFloodlight
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Horn Effect
0%Horn Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0%PublicationFloodlight
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
0%Dunning-Kruger Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0%PublicationFloodlight
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Recency Bias
25.8%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
25.8%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.4%PublicationFloodlight
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
0%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.2%PublicationFloodlight
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Blind-Spot Bias
0%Blind-Spot Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0%PublicationFloodlight
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ad Hominem
0%Ad Hominem
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.4%PublicationFloodlight
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Straw Man
0%Straw Man
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0%PublicationFloodlight
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Authority
5.7%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
5.7%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
2.4%PublicationFloodlight
2.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
False Dilemma
0%False Dilemma
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.4%PublicationFloodlight
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Slippery Slope
0%Slippery Slope
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.9%PublicationFloodlight
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Circular Reasoning
0%Circular Reasoning
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.1%PublicationFloodlight
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hasty Generalization
17%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
17%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
3%PublicationFloodlight
2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Red Herring
0%Red Herring
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.2%PublicationFloodlight
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Bandwagon
0%Bandwagon
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.4%PublicationFloodlight
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Emotion
8.2%Appeal to Emotion
OverallThis article
8.2%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
3.8%PublicationFloodlight
3.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Begging the Question
0%Begging the Question
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.9%PublicationFloodlight
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Post Hoc (False Cause)
25.8%Post Hoc (False Cause)
OverallThis article
25.8%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.4%PublicationFloodlight
1.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Tu Quoque
0%Tu Quoque
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0%PublicationFloodlight
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Burden of Proof
0%Burden of Proof
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.7%PublicationFloodlight
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Appeal to Nature
0%Appeal to Nature
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.2%PublicationFloodlight
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Composition/Division
0%Composition/Division
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.2%PublicationFloodlight
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anecdotal
8.8%Anecdotal
OverallThis article
8.8%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
1.4%PublicationFloodlight
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
No True Scotsman
0%No True Scotsman
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0%PublicationFloodlight
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ambiguity (Equivocation)
0%Ambiguity (Equivocation)
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.5%PublicationFloodlight
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Gambler’s Fallacy
0%Gambler’s Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0%PublicationFloodlight
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Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.1%PublicationFloodlight
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Personal Incredulity
0%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.2%PublicationFloodlight
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Special Pleading
0%Special Pleading
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.1%PublicationFloodlight
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Genetic Fallacy
0%Genetic Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0%PublicationFloodlight
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Unattributed Quote
25.8%Unattributed Quote
OverallThis article
25.8%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.3%PublicationFloodlight
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Quote-first Misdirection
0%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.3%PublicationFloodlight
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Biased Writer Voice
14.5%Biased Writer Voice
OverallThis article
14.5%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
2.6%PublicationFloodlight
1.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Indoctrination
0%Indoctrination
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.5%PublicationFloodlight
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Politically Left Leaning Bias
0%Politically Left Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.9%PublicationFloodlight
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Right Leaning Bias
0%Politically Right Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.2%PublicationFloodlight
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
11.9%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
11.9%AuthorEvan Simon/Floodlight
0.4%PublicationFloodlight
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
159 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.