Musk’s AI power plant generates sound and fury in Mississippi

Residents of Southaven, Mississippi, are fighting noise and air pollution from 27 methane gas turbines that Elon Musk's xAI installed to power AI data centers at a former power plant site. At a packed public hearing, hundreds opposed xAI's application for 41 permanent turbines, citing children's respiratory problems, sleepless nights, and plummeting property values. The Southern Environmental Law Center has threatened a Clean Air Act lawsuit on behalf of the NAACP, which accused xAI of operating without proper permits — the same pattern the company followed in Memphis. The case illustrates how Big Tech's AI infrastructure buildout is outpacing community protections, environmental oversight, and democratic process.