Neighbors of xAI’s Southaven data center sued the company for excess noise this week.
On Monday, June 8, plaintiffs Jason Haley, Preston Herrington, and Taylor Logsdon filed a complaint for damages and a demand for a jury trial against xAI, SpaceX, and MZX Tech for alleged excessive noise generated by the Southaven power plant, which powers xAI’s Colossus 1 and Colossus 2 data centers.
In order to power the data centers that house Grok and xAI’s other Large Language Models in Boxtown and Whitehaven, xAI and MZX Tech constructed a power plant in Southaven in mid-2025. The data centers are powered by gas-fired turbines that, according to the lawsuit, operate continuously despite being designed to operate only during power outages or limited testing.
The sound is “a combination of high-pitched squealing, continuous engine roaring, low-frequency rumbling, and tonal humming or whining.”
The lawsuit alleges that these turbines generate considerable noise which was described as “a combination of high-pitched squealing, continuous engine roaring, low-frequency rumbling, and tonal humming or whining.” This noise is “pervasive and inescapable,” diminishes quality of life and property value, and causes a loss of sleep, headaches, and persistent ringing in the ears. It also violates Southaven’s noise ordinance, the suit says.
xAI and MZX Tech, after hearing about the noise complaints, made efforts to mitigate the noise, but it has not been effective, the suit says. xAI also plans to construct a third data center called MACROHARDRR about a mile from the Southaven power plant, which would increase the energy demand to the output of the Hoover Dam.
In addition to this, the lawsuit says MZX made a $1.4-million donation to the Southaven Police Department, which residents routinely call when making noise complaints.
In the lawsuit, Haley, Preston, and Logsdon — all residents of Southaven — testified that the noise significantly affects their ability to go about everyday life. They claim that they can no longer participate in activities that were routine before the constant noise started and that they experience physical symptoms like tinnitus, loss of sleep, and headaches. They are taking the matter to court in order to pursue financial damages and relief.
