xAI Seeks 418 Mississippi Homes to Quell Noise Lawsuits as 69 Turbines Roil Southaven
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 28
xAI Seeks 418 Mississippi Homes to Quell Noise Lawsuits as 69 Turbines Roil Southaven
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 28
Summary
xAI has been offering to buy homes in Southaven’s Colonial Hills if owners agree not to join a noise lawsuit, with a realtor citing a target of 418 houses and county records showing five purchases since Oct. 9.
The buyouts center on residents’ complaints about a former Duke Energy site now running 69 temporary gas turbines for nearby xAI datacenters; three locals sued in June over near-constant noise, vibrations and other harms.
xAI says it aims to be a good neighbor, denies the lawsuit’s claims and has built sound-dampening walls, while Southaven’s mayor says the homes could house employees and the purchases are also a goodwill gesture.
The dispute reaches beyond noise: the EPA found the turbines were operating without required federal permits, and the Southern Environmental Law Center estimated their emissions impose about $44 million in annual health costs.
The neighborhood fight reflects the broader tension around Musk’s rapid Memphis-Southaven AI buildout, where supporters tout jobs and tax revenue but opponents say datacenter expansion is pushing residents out.