NAACP Urges Mississippi Regulators to Deny Permits to Gas-Powered AI Facility
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2026
Contact: Chyna Fields, cfields@naacpnet.org
JACKSON, Miss. – Today, the NAACP urged the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Permit Board to deny a permit for MZX Tech LLC, an affiliate of Elon Musk's xAI, to construct and operate 41 methane gas-fired turbines in Southaven, Mississippi.
The facility is intended to power the xAI "Colossus 2" artificial intelligence data center across the state line in Memphis, Tennessee, yet its air pollution burdens would fall overwhelmingly on Black communities in Southaven and the shared Memphis metropolitan airshed.
In a formal opposition letter, the NAACP outlined multiple failures in the permitting process and raised grave concerns about the project's compliance with the Clean Air Act, its incomplete emissions data, and its foreseeable harm to public health in communities already overburdened by pollution and health disparities.
"This isn't just a permitting issue; it's a civil rights issue," said Abre' Conner, Esq., Director of the NAACP Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. "Mississippi regulators are being asked to approve a facility that has already installed unpermitted turbines, operated them without authorization, and now seeks approval for 41 more. Meanwhile, they're refusing to provide complete emissions data to the public. The communities bearing the brunt of this pollution are Black, working-class neighborhoods in Southaven and Memphis, who share the same air and the same right to breathe safely. The Permit Board must deny this permit and restore integrity to a process that has, so far, prioritized a private data center over public health. They must put people over profit."
Key concerns raised in the NAACP letter include:
Unpermitted Turbines Already Operating: MZX Tech has installed 27 "temporary" turbines at the site without a permit and reportedly operated them for months, demonstrating a deficient permit application.
Incomplete and Inaccurate Information: The draft permit does not provide complete emissions data, including for hazardous pollutants like formaldehyde, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, making it impossible for the public or the Permit Board to evaluate the full scope of health risks.
Disproportionate Impact on Black Communities: The facility is located within half a mile of residential neighborhoods, including Colonial Hills and Horn Lake, and just one mile from an elementary school. The Memphis metro area, which includes Southaven, has among the highest asthma emergency room visit and death rates in the nation and recently received an "F" grade for high ozone days. Black communities in the region already face significant health disparities that will be worsened by increased air pollution.
Procedural Deficiencies: The permitting process has failed to meaningfully engage affected communities, and requests for extended public comment periods were denied. The lack of transparency undermines federal and state environmental law protections designed to ensure community participation.
Cumulative Health and Economic Harms: The 41 turbines alone are projected to cause millions of dollars in health damages annually, including missed school and work days due to respiratory illness. These estimates do not account for the 27 unpermitted turbines or the cumulative burden on already overburdened communities.
The NAACP calls on the MDEQ Permit Board to:
Order MZX Tech to cease operating the 27 unpermitted turbines until a permit is obtained;
Withdraw the current draft permit; and
Require any revised permit application to include all turbines at the project site before seeking public comment, ensuring full transparency and compliance with air quality standards.
This comment letter to the regarding future operation to MDEQ comes on the heels of NAACP's notice of intent to sue xAI over the tech company's existing use of unpermitted methane gas turbines to power its massive Colossus 2 data center. Pollution from the turbines powering xAI's data center risks worsening air quality problems in the Memphis area, which is already failing to meet national standards for smog. Memphis was recently named an 'asthma capital' and both Shelby County, Tenn., and DeSoto County, Miss., received an "F" for ozone pollution from the American Lung Association.
xAI removed its unpermitted turbines at the Colossus 1 data center after the NAACP sent a notice of intent to sue under the Clean Air Act, and the company obtained permits for its remaining 15 turbines. And, NAACP will continue to keep xAI's Colossus 2 accountable as well.
The full letter is available here.
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