Residents of Southaven, Mississippi, say their once-quiet community has been transformed into an industrial zone, with the roar of 27 methane gas turbines powering Elon Musk's xAI data center. The $20 billion facility, which operates around the clock, has become a source of constant noise and air pollution, prompting some residents to leave their homes and others to report health problems.
The turbines were trucked in because the local grid cannot supply enough electricity for the AI facility, which was built at a pace that residents describe as overwhelming. The installation, spanning 114 acres, has disrupted daily life in this rural community, where many families have deep roots.
Krystal Polk, a lifelong resident, told NBC News she moved out of her family home, a property her family owned since the era of sharecropping, because the noise became unbearable. "I just haven't really internalized that this is here and this is what's happening," she said.
Rapid Expansion Raises Concerns
The turbines are officially labeled "temporary," allowing xAI to operate them before obtaining permanent permits. However, the company has applied for a permit to install 41 permanent turbines, a move that suggests the noise may not subside. Nathan Reed, a Southaven native, described the development as "an industrial surge imposed on our residential community," noting that the scale and speed are unlike anything the area has absorbed.
Mayor Darren Musselwhite, a Republican, acknowledged the noise as a "legitimate concern" but attributed some criticism to political opposition to Musk. He pointed to a $7 million sound wall installed in January as a mitigation effort, and suggested that future turbines would be quieter. Many residents remain doubtful, with Taylor Logsdon, a local group member, joking that the wall is "the Temu sound wall" due to its minimal impact.
Beyond the noise, Logsdon claims her two children have developed respiratory problems since the facility began operating. The Southern Environmental Law Center has noted that gas turbines can release formaldehyde, a known carcinogen linked to respiratory issues.
Health and Environmental Impact
Southaven is not the only community affected. In Boxtown, a predominantly Black neighborhood near Memphis, Tennessee, residents report that fumes from xAI's "Colossus" data center are so strong they make breathing difficult. There, xAI also deployed dozens of gas turbines without permits, quickly making the site one of the largest emitters of nitrogen oxides in the county, according to a Politico report from May.
Even some who support Musk's broader initiatives are struggling with the local impact. Eddie Gossett, a 76-year-old resident living on the same road as the facility, backed Musk's federal spending cuts through DOGE but says he cannot sleep due to the turbine roar. His suggestion for Musk: "You need to come over and stay at my house for a week."
As xAI pushes forward with its expansion plans, the tension between rapid AI infrastructure development and community well-being remains unresolved. For Southaven residents, the promise of technological progress has come at a cost they say they were never given a chance to weigh.
