Elon Musk's xAI wins permit to build power plant in Mississippi despite pollution concerns
News ClipCNBC·Southaven, DeSoto County, MS·3/10/2026
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI, now owned by SpaceX, was granted a permit by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to build a 41-turbine natural gas power plant in Southaven, Mississippi despite opposition from civil rights and environmental groups over pollution concerns. The plant will power xAI's nearby data centers in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Gov: Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, NAACP
Elon Musk's xAI scored a victory in Mississippi, where regulators on Tuesday authorized the artificial intelligence company to build a power plant with 41 natural gas-burning turbines in the town of Southaven to power its nearby data centers. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality