Mississippi Residents File Federal Class Action Against xAI and SpaceX Over Southaven Turbine Noise
A federal class-action suit filed Tuesday in Oxford, Mississippi names xAI, its subsidiary MZX Tech, and SpaceX as defendants, alleging that natural gas turbines powering xAI's Memphis data center operations have produced continuous noise and vibration that has harmed the health and property values of more than 10,000 Southaven residents since approximately June 2025.
A federal class-action suit filed Tuesday in Oxford, Mississippi names xAI, its subsidiary MZX Tech, and SpaceX as defendants, alleging that natural gas turbines powering xAI's Memphis data center operations have produced continuous noise and vibration that has harmed the health and property values of more than 10,000 Southaven residents since approximately June 2025.
The Complaint
Three named plaintiffs brought the case on behalf of a proposed class they estimate exceeds 10,000 members. The suit alleges negligence and public nuisance, and seeks damages for emotional distress, diminished property values, and disgorgement of profits. Attorney Robert Wiygul, representing the plaintiffs, said residents' homes have been "invaded by noise 24 hours a day," stripping them of what he described as the fundamental peace of daily life. Elon Musk is not named as a defendant.
How the Infrastructure Came to Be
xAI purchased a vacant power plant in Southaven and installed natural gas turbines to supply electricity to data center operations across the Tennessee border in Memphis. The company has since committed more than $20 billion to expand data center infrastructure in Mississippi, a project backed by Governor Tate Reeves. xAI installed sound barriers to address turbine noise, but residents continued to complain about disruption after those measures were in place.
Mounting Legal Scrutiny
Tuesday's complaint adds to a growing stack of legal challenges against xAI's power operations. A separate lawsuit filed in April by the NAACP, acting on behalf of the Southern Environmental Law Center, alleges xAI is operating the turbines without proper environmental permits in violation of the federal Clean Air Act. Under Mississippi regulations, temporary or portable turbines may operate for up to one year without an air permit; the NAACP argues that threshold has been exceeded.
The Justice Department signaled last month that it may intervene in the environmental case, stating it raises significant legal and policy questions about the federal government's role in AI infrastructure development. The new noise suit broadens the legal exposure for xAI as the company continues its large-scale buildout of data center and power infrastructure across the state.