‘Pervasive and inescapable’: Mississippi residents sue Musk’s SpaceX over gas plant for data centers

North Mississippi residents have taken legal action against Elon Musk’s aerospace firm, SpaceX, and associated tech companies, alleging that a gas-powered plant fueling massive AI data centers is destroying their quality of life. The federal lawsuit, filed in Oxford on Monday, claims the facility creates a constant, disruptive noise that residents describe as sounding like a jet engine.

The Legal Battle

The lawsuit targets SpaceX, X.AI Corp., and MZX Tech LLC. While Musk is not personally named as a defendant, the plaintiffs—Jason Haley, Preston Herrington, and Taylor Logsdon—allege that these corporate interests are prioritizing profits over the well-being of the Southaven community. Represented by attorney Robert Wiygul of Waltzer & Associates, the residents are seeking class action status on behalf of more than 10,000 people who live near the Colossus gas turbine plant, which sits just south of the Tennessee border.

A Pervasive Disturbance

The complaint details a range of physical and mental tolls, including sleep deprivation, headaches, and ringing ears. The constant noise—described as a mix of high-pitched squealing, roaring engines, and low-frequency humming—is reportedly audible both day and night. According to the court filing, the disturbance is "pervasive and inescapable," especially during evening hours. The residents are seeking damages for emotional distress, loss of property use, and the devaluation of their homes.

The Push for AI Power

The Colossus gas plant was developed to support AI data centers in Southaven and nearby Memphis, which house the supercomputers that run xAI’s language model Grok. After the company bought nearly 115 acres last summer and secured a permit in March for 41 turbines, construction moved rapidly. The company boasts of building the "world’s biggest supercomputer" in just 122 days, but the energy demands of that operation have sparked significant local backlash.

Ongoing Tensions

This is not the first time the facility has faced legal scrutiny. The NAACP already sued over the gas plant in April, alleging that the companies are violating environmental regulations and disproportionately impacting Black residents with air pollution. While that lawsuit remains pending, residents are intensifying their efforts to hold the companies accountable for the noise pollution as well. SpaceX has not yet provided a comment regarding the latest class action filing, which was first reported by Reuters.