JACKSON, Miss.—The Mississippi Environmental Quality Permit Board has granted xAI’s request to add dozens of permanent gas turbines to its facility in Southaven, Mississippi, dealing a blow to area residents who blame Elon Musk’s company for contributing to noise and air pollution in their communities.
At a public meeting in Jackson on Tuesday, board members unanimously approved a construction permit allowing xAI affiliate MZX Tech to install 41 methane gas-fired turbines at its
Southaven plant. Those permitted machines will replace the 27 unpermitted turbines currently housed at the facility, which xAI has been using to power its data center, Colossus 2, in neighboring Memphis. That facility, in turn, helps power Grok, xAI’s controversial AI chatbot.
The board’s decision comes just three weeks after the permit drew unanimous opposition at a public hearing in Southaven, with residents and allies condemning xAI’s practices and accusing it of violating federal law. Several meeting attendees shared similar remarks on Tuesday, claiming that the permit represents a clear prioritization of industrial development over public safety.
“The people who live in Southaven do not want this,” Shannon Samsa, a lifelong Southaven resident, told the permit board ahead of their decision Tuesday. “For us, this is not just one more permit application—it is our homes and our health, our community, and it is our entire lives.”
Methane gas turbines are a significant source of noise and air pollution, producing industrial sounds similar to a jet engine and releasing harmful contaminants like particulate matter. Since last summer, when xAI first began operating unpermitted gas turbines at its Southaven facility, nearby residents have complained about a persistent droning that has interrupted their days and affected their sleep. Others have worried about what breathing in the turbines’ emissions could mean for their health.
To limit adverse impacts on air quality and surrounding communities, the permit authorized Tuesday requires xAI to equip its new gas turbines with various control technologies to rein in harmful emissions. The company must also model pollution released by the engines to ensure emissions don’t result in air quality violations.
Based on this required emissions modeling, the approved permit contains enough constraints and pollution-control mechanisms to help xAI remain compliant with all applicable air quality standards, regulators and company officials emphasized Tuesday.
“The … permit in front of the board today not only meets all state and federal permitting regulations, but goes above and beyond what is required by law,” said xAI representative Brent Mayo, noting that the company has worked closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to develop the document. “xAI believes in always doing right when no one is looking. Approving this permit today will unlock the power needed for the next era of AI innovation in America, while also securing lasting economic growth, job creation and technology leadership in Mississippi.”
Southaven residents stressed that xAI’s track record in Memphis and current operations in their community make them skeptical that the company will obey laws or permitting requirements moving forward. Several highlighted the unreachability of company officials ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, noting that attempts to share concerns about air or noise pollution have gone unanswered.
“The only contact we can get (with xAI) is through our mayor,” said Jason Haley, a Southaven resident who lives in the neighborhood next to the company’s turbine facility. “They say, ‘Hey, we’re going to be good neighbors and do the right thing.’ No one living within a mile of that site believes that.”
Other participants voiced frustration over the timing of Tuesday’s meeting, suggesting that the permit board did not have enough time to thoroughly evaluate the proposed permit—or review the extensive feedback submitted by residents and groups during the public comment period—before making a decision.
“Fast-tracking a permit without the proper vetting process is irresponsible,” said KeShaun Pearson, executive director of the group Memphis Communities Against Pollution and brother of Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson. “You have seen this community stand up for itself and demand not just your consideration, but your care.”
xAI’s continued use of unpermitted gas turbines in Southaven has triggered legal threats from multiple organizations. On Feb. 13, the NAACP announced its intent to sue the company and subsidiary MZX Tech, alleging that operating the turbines without a permit violates the Clean Air Act. MDEQ, meanwhile, maintains that the engines don’t require permits because they fall into a so-called “temporary-mobile” category and may only be used for under a year.
Southaven residents are also now considering “legal options” to address noise and air pollution from the xAI facility, Samsa told the Mississippi Free Press after Tuesday’s hearing. Though she was disappointed by the permit board’s verdict, she said she would continue serving as a watchdog and monitoring the company’s activities in her community once the new turbines are installed.
“We’re basically the only source of reliable information at this point,” Samsa concluded. “Every single system and person who’s supposed to protect us has failed to do so.”