‘Elonville’: US residents say Musk’s xAI offered to buy homes if they don’t sue over datacenter noise

Key Points:

• Residents in Southaven, Mississippi, near Elon Musk’s xAI datacenters, have been offered buyouts for their homes on the condition they do not join a lawsuit over noise pollution from a nearby power plant.
• The power plant, housing 69 temporary gas turbines running without federal permits, has caused continuous loud noise described as resembling airplane engines, disturbing residents and prompting a lawsuit alleging health and quality-of-life harms.
• xAI plans to use purchased homes to accommodate staff amid rapid expansion of three new datacenters in the Memphis-Southaven area, with some locals supporting economic benefits while others oppose environmental and noise impacts.
• Environmental groups and the NAACP have sued to stop the turbines’ operation due to pollution concerns, estimating $44 million in annual health costs, while xAI has agreed to replace temporary turbines with a permanent facility by next summer.
• Local officials defend the development citing job creation and tax revenue, but affected residents remain skeptical and divided, with some refusing buyout offers and expressing broader opposition to AI’s impact on their community.