Elon Musk-founded SpaceXAI is removing all of the temporary mobile turbines being used to power a $20 billion data center in DeSoto County, the company announced.
The move comes as SpaceXAI, formerly SpaceX and xAI, has reached an agreement with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to begin the process of removing the 69 turbines, which will begin in August and conclude in July 2027. Once the turbines are gone, the company will rely on a permanent 1.2 GW power plant it is constructing in Southaven with clearance from a Clean Air Act permit.
The data center and its turbines have been the subjects of public outcry, with local residents suing SpaceXAI over alleged noise disruptions. The NAACP sued over potential environmental and public health ramifications the data center and power plant could yield, though the Justice Department has sought to have that lawsuit dismissed.
In the interim, SpaceXAI is seemingly addressing complaints about its presence in north Mississippi. Company officials said they are equipping the mobile turbines with advanced technology to reduce any environmental impact, while simultaneously monitoring the air quality to avoid exceeding EPA standards.
SpaceXAI officials also said in the announcement that it is investing millions of dollars in sound walls, silencers, and turbines with advanced quieting technology to minimize noise. This is pertinent because the power plant being constructed will have 41 permanent turbines.
“We care deeply about being good neighbors and we regularly reconfigure power operations to reduce noise from the facility and minimize our impact on the local Southaven community,” an official statement from SpaceXAI reads.