The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has greenlit Elon Musk’s request to run 41 methane gas turbines at its Southaven datacenter. This permit allows the “Colossus 2” facility to nearly double its power generation capacity to support the company’s AI hardware. The move comes as xAI integrates into a $1.25 trillion combined entity with SpaceX.
The gas turbines are a critical component of Musk’s “warp speed” approach to AI, providing a dedicated energy island for the company’s chips. This setup allows xAI to train its Grok models without placing an additional burden on the local residential grid. The facility is part of a “tri-center” cluster that aims to achieve a record-breaking 2 gigawatts of total compute capacity.
The decision has been met with fierce resistance from the NAACP and local advocacy groups who feel “silenced” by the regulatory process. Hundreds of residents attended a February hearing to protest the facility’s noise and potential impact on public health. Critics argue that the state’s decision to hold the final vote on a primary election day was an attempt to avoid public scrutiny.
Health advocates warn that the 41 turbines will release hazardous fine particulate matter into the air, increasing the risk of asthma and heart attacks. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) has labeled the facility one of the largest fossil fuel power plants in Mississippi. They argue that the state is allowing a “dirty facility” to operate in a community that already suffers from poor air quality.
Despite these concerns, xAI is moving forward with its $20 billion “Macrohardrr” expansion, the largest private investment in state history. The project is expected to create hundreds of high-tech jobs and provide significant tax revenue for the City of Southaven. The legal battle over xAI’s environmental footprint is just beginning, with multiple lawsuits expected in the coming months.