Key Points:
- Mississippi regulators approved a permit for xAI to build a natural gas power plant.
- The facility in Southaven will feature 41 turbines to power local AI data centers.
- Civil rights groups strongly opposed holding the vote on primary election day.
- The NAACP plans to sue the company over its current use of temporary turbines.
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, just won a major regulatory battle in Mississippi. State environmental officials voted on Tuesday to let the company build a massive natural gas power plant in the town of Southaven. This new facility will use 41 turbines to generate electricity for xAI’s growing data centers, including two huge sites just across the border in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality approved the permit despite fierce local pushback. An agency spokesperson stated that officials carefully considered all public comments and community concerns before making their final decision.
Civil rights and environmental groups are furious about the timing. The NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center begged the state to delay the hearing. They pointed out that the vote happened on the exact same day as state primary elections. They argue this scheduling conflict kept many affected residents away from the meeting.
xAI, which merged with SpaceX earlier this year, already runs more than a dozen temporary turbines at the Southaven site. The company claims it does not need federal permits for those temporary machines. The NAACP completely disagrees and now plans to sue xAI over its ongoing operations and lack of federal compliance.
Residents living near the site complain bitterly about the noise and air pollution. Jason Haley, a local who attended the vote, said the constant roar from the existing turbines ruins the neighborhood. Opponents also worry the new plant will pump dangerous smog-forming chemicals and formaldehyde into the air.
Training AI programs requires an incredible amount of electricity. Just last week, xAI executives promised the White House they would build their own power supplies to avoid driving up local utility bills. While this new plant fulfills that specific pledge, locals feel regulators care more about Musk’s business goals than the health of the community.
