Elon Musk's data centers are pushing out a family that's owned land since "before people of color were allowed to"

Live updates

1. 15d ago

   Elon Musk's xAI data center expansion sparks backlash in Mississippi

   Elon Musk's xAI data center expansion in Southaven, Mississippi, is facing backlash from local residents, including a family claiming they are being forced off their 2-acre property they have owned for over 100 years. Residents have also filed a noise suit, though some are now requesting to drop SpaceX from that litigation. A hearing regarding the Southaven plant's future and the potential shutdown of Grok has been postponed.

   Why it matters

   The expansion of data centers, particularly those powered by gas turbines, is generating significant public outcry and regulatory pushback. This backlash is not limited to Mississippi, with California legislators racing to regulate data centers amid public outcry and business interests trying to blunt the backlash. The issue highlights the tension between the growth of the tech industry and local community concerns about noise pollution and land use.

   What is confirmed

   • The xAI data center in Southaven, Mississippi, is sparking backlash from local residents.
   • The data center is powered by gas turbines that emit a loud, unsettling noise.
   • Some residents are requesting to drop SpaceX from a noise suit litigation.

   Still unconfirmed

   • A family claims they are being forced off their 2-acre property they have owned for over 100 years, dating back to before people of color were allowed to own land.

   What to watch next

   • The outcome of the postponed hearing regarding the Southaven plant's future and the potential shutdown of Grok.
   • The development of regulations on data centers in California and other states.
   • The impact of noise pollution from data centers on local communities.
   Sources used for this update (4)

   1. calmatters.org — The data center backlash is here — and Big Tech is spending big to combat it
   2. reason.com — A Tale of Two Moral Panics
   3. www.lpm.org — Noise pollution from data centers is coming. The gas-powered xAI model is spreading
   4. www.vox.com — The data centers are winning
   confidence 80%
2. 20d ago

   xAI Data Center Expansion Sparks Land and Noise Disputes in Mississippi

   Elon Musk's xAI data center expansion in Southaven, Mississippi, has triggered backlash from local residents and a legal battle over land rights. One family claims the build-out is forcing them off a 2-acre property they have owned for over 100 years, dating back to before people of color were allowed to own land. Residents have also filed a noise suit, though some are now requesting to drop SpaceX from that litigation. A hearing regarding the Southaven plant's future and the potential shutdown of Grok has been postponed.

   Why it matters

   The project is part of a broader national trend of opposition to AI data centers in rural communities. These disputes have become a factor in midterm elections, drawing attention from high-profile political figures.

   What is confirmed

   • xAI data center expansion in Southaven has caused resident backlash.
   • A petition was filed against SpaceX following reports that xAI data centers pushed out a family from a 2-acre Mississippi property owned for over 100 years.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Residents in Southaven say they were left in the dark regarding the xAI expansion.
   • A hearing was postponed regarding the future of the Southaven plant and a potential Grok shut-down.

   What to watch next

   • The court's decision on the request to drop SpaceX from the noise suit.
   Sources used for this update (7)

   1. CBS News — Elon Musk's data centers are pushing out a family that's owned land since "before people of color were allowed to"
   2. Law360 — Residents Ask To Drop SpaceX From Data Center Noise Suit
   3. The Times of India — Read petition filed against Spacex, after xAI data centers reportedly pushed out a family that owned 2-acre property in Mississippi for over 100 years
   4. FOX13 Memphis — xAI expansion sparks backlash in Southaven, residents say they were left in the dark
   5. The Commercial Appeal — SpaceXAI hearing postponed on future of Southaven plant, potential Grok shut-down
   6. apnews.com — Here’s all the ways that data center controversies have transformed the midterm elections
   7. www.yahoo.com — Mississippi family says Musk's data-center build-out is forcing them off land farmed for generations
   confidence 80%