The power plant supplying Musk's Colossus AI datacenter in Mississippi is producing noise that disturbs local residents, triggering community complaints about facility operations.
Billionaire Elon Musk’s expanding artificial intelligence operations in the Memphis, Tennessee, area are drawing sharp criticism from residents in neighboring Southaven, Mississippi, over persistent noise generated by a power plant supplying his data centers. Gas turbines at the facility have been operating continuously to provide electricity to xAI’s Colossus data center in Memphis, with locals reporting that the sound resembles a jet engine and has severely disrupted their sleep.
According to CBS News, nighttime noise levels near the site have reached approximately 50 to 60 decibels, exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of 40 decibels for nighttime environments.
Krystal Polk, 52, told CBS News she remembers when she could hear birds chirping around her family home. Now, she said the plant’s “constant roaring” lingers in her ears even after she leaves the area. “It's like you're in the middle of the airport where the planes are taking off, but they never take off,” she said. Another resident described the noise as intense enough to be physically felt, noting it was “like, in your chest almost.”
The complaints have prompted the formation of the Safe and Sound Coalition, a grassroots group organized by local residents. The coalition launched a petition demanding the power plant be shut down, which has already garnered more than 1,400 signatures. In a press release last month, xAI stated it had begun installing sound walls and silencers to mitigate the noise, committing millions of dollars to the measures. However, residents report that these efforts have yielded little improvement so far.
The noise disputes emerge as Musk continues to scale his AI infrastructure across the region. Construction on the Colossus 1 data center began just north of Southaven in 2024, with two additional facilities announced by January 2026. In July, Musk confirmed another planned site, dubbed “Minihard,” in a reply on X. Both SpaceX and xAI initiatives are projected to inject more than $20 billion in investments into Southaven. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has publicly endorsed the developments, stating they will “bring amazing opportunities to its residents for generations.”