‘Pervasive and inescapable’: Mississippi residents sue Musk’s SpaceX over gas plant for data centers
The company has built the gas plant over the last year in a small community just south of the Mississippi-Tennessee border.
Mason Reed 
North Mississippi residents have taken legal action against Elon Musk’s SpaceX, filing a lawsuit in federal court in Oxford this past Monday. The plaintiffs, residing near the Colossus gas turbine plant in Southaven, claim that the facility—which powers nearby AI data centers—has significantly degraded their quality of life with constant, disruptive noise.
The Legal Battle
The lawsuit targets SpaceX, X.AI Corp., and MZX Tech LLC, though Musk himself is not named as a defendant. Three residents, Jason Haley, Preston Herrington, and Taylor Logsdon, are leading the litigation. Represented by attorney Robert Wiygul of Waltzer & Associates, the plaintiffs are seeking class action status on behalf of more than 10,000 affected people.
"Our homes are supposed to be a sanctuary for us against the world," Wiygul told Reuters. "When they are invaded by noise 24 hours a day, it takes that fundamental peace of a good and decent life away from us."
Powering the AI Revolution
The Southaven plant provides essential energy to nearby AI data centers, including those hosting xAI’s language model, Grok. After the companies acquired nearly 115 acres in Southaven, they secured a permit in March to construct 41 gas turbines. These turbines support the world’s biggest supercomputer, which was constructed in a rapid 122-day timeframe.
The complaint argues that this rush for technological dominance tramples local residents' rights. Residents describe the persistent 24/7 noise as sounding like a "jet engine," reporting a range of health issues including sleep loss, headaches, and tinnitus. They characterize the atmosphere as "pervasive and inescapable," particularly during the quiet of the night, noting the noise affects both Southaven and Horn Lake.
Ongoing Tensions
The plaintiffs are seeking damages for emotional distress, diminished property values, and the loss of use of their homes. A SpaceX spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the litigation. This is not the first legal challenge the plant has faced; the NAACP filed a lawsuit in April, alleging that the facility violates environmental regulations and disproportionately impacts Black residents through air pollution.
