As xAI expands, Southaven will host one of its new data centers. With this new data center, residents and environmentalists have raised concerns about its environmental impact on nearby towns.
Due to the size of the building, the current $20 billion investment, and the approximately 2-gigawatt AI system, the company is asking to install 41 natural gas turbines. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality will host a public hearing on Feb. 17 for locals to give their opinions on the center and whether it should have the turbines.
Dr. Kayla Stan, an assistant professor of geography specializing in human-environmental and climate change, explained how this could affect the town’s surrounding environment.
“So, looking at the natural gas turbines and things like that, you also end up oftentimes with air pollution going on,” she said.
She continued by explaining that when burning natural gas, it doesn’t burn properly and can have a negative impact on human health
“So in nearby towns, that’s a concern, and then they can also have impacts on things like crop health or ecosystem health,” Stan said.
The data center will be housed in an old energy plant that is being retrofitted for its new role. Though many people are worried about the environmental impact, Gov. Tate Reeves says the data center will bring new opportunities to Mississippi.
Reeves said, “It sets the pace for continued high-tech investments across our state and strengthens Mississippi’s position as a leader in this exciting tech revolution. There is truly no better time to invest in Mississippi.”
River Messa, a USM student, says that this will negatively impact the future of the nearby towns and residents of Southaven.
“Anything that tampers with the environment is not only going to make the residents unhappy, but it’s also going to make future people who want to move in, future residents, feel unsafe and probably discourage them from moving there,” Messa said. “So, I think it’s a lose-lose for Southaven.”
In an interview with FOX13 in Memphis, Southaven resident Jacob Drew said, “That’s insane,” when hearing about the proposed turbines.
According to FOX13 and xAI, the turbines are predicted to generate 1.2 gigawatts of power. Which is enough to power “every home in Shelby County and then some.”
UPDATE:
During the public hearing on February 17, many Southaven residents attended and all of them spoke against the data center. Mississippi Today reported that many wanted the current generators to shut off and that local families spoke about how they are already facing physical ailments due to the pollution that is currently happening. Many people wore t-shirts saying, “not all money is good money.” Even Tennessee state representative Justin J. Pearson came to speak out against the data center saying that he represented cities in Memphis but that “pollution doesn’t care about the imaginary boundary between states, which is why we have to have solidarity.” The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has not given the final say on if the data center will have the 41 natural gas turbines.