NAACP Demands Mississippi Regulators Reschedule Data Center Permit Hearing

Environmental Quality Department Scheduled Public Meeting on March 10, Federal Primary Election Day, With Just Five Days' Notice, Three Hours away from Affected Community 

JACKSON, Miss. - The NAACP is calling on the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to immediately reschedule a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, 2026 — Election Day — regarding an air permit for a proposed gas-fired turbine facility by MZX Tech LLC, an affiliate of Elon Musk's xAI, in DeSoto County. View the open letter here.

MDEQ announced the hearing on March 5, providing the public with fewer than five calendar days' notice. The agency only released its responses to prior community comments on Saturday, March 7, less than 48 business hours before the hearing. The hearing is set to take place in Jackson, Mississippi — nearly a three-hour drive from the affected community in DeSoto County — during work and school hours on a federal primary election day.

"This is not a public hearing, this is a deliberate attempt to silence frontline communities," said Abre' Conner, Director of the NAACP Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. "Instead of protecting air quality, MDEQ is forcing Black and low-income residents to choose between exercising their right to vote and protecting their right to breathe clean air. Scheduling a hearing on Election Day, three hours away from the community, with almost no notice, is a textbook example of environmental racism. The message is clear, they want to sneak this data center in with as little involvement from the community as possible."

The proposed facility would house 41 methane gas-fired turbines to power the xAI "Colossus 2" data center across the state line in Memphis. The site is located within half a mile of residential neighborhoods, including Colonial Hills and Horn Lake, and just one mile from an elementary school. Twenty-seven turbines are already installed and operating at the site without a permit, in violation of Clean Air Act pre-construction requirements.

MDEQ previously denied community requests for an extension to the public comment period. Despite those barriers, over 200 residents showed up to voice opposition to the permit. Now, with a new hearing scheduled under even more restrictive conditions, the NAACP warns that the process is designed to suppress participation rather than encourage it.

"Across the state, we have continued to lead efforts to drive civic engagement and turn out Black voters this upcoming Election Day and for the midterms in November," said Charles Taylor, Executive Director, Mississippi NAACP State Conference. "Part of that work includes protecting the right to vote so communities impacted by data centers can elect officials who make decisions on our behalf. No matter what, our people shouldn't have to choose between attending important public hearings and exercising their right to vote. We demand that MDEQ act in the interests of the people they represent and move the public hearing until after Election Day."

The NAACP demands that MDEQ:

• Reschedule the hearing to at least one week after Election Day, allowing adequate time for community members to prepare and attend.
• Hold the hearing in or near DeSoto County, where the facility would be located, to minimize travel burdens.
• Provide sufficient notice and documentation well in advance of any new hearing to enable meaningful public engagement.

The NAACP has given MDEQ until noon on Monday, March 9, 2026, to confirm these actions and issue a revised hearing date and location. Interested parties can join NAACP's efforts to send a letter to MDEQ requesting a revised hearing date by clicking here.

The open letter to MDEQ is available here. 

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About NAACP 

The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st-century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities. 

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF - was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.