Over the past few weeks, numerous reports have highlighted the possibility and controversy surrounding large data centers being built in Mississippi and across the South. State leaders have promised the data centers will bring in “revenue for miles” and create high-tech jobs. But residents a cross the state have raised concerns about noise, pollution and other environmental impact, the potential for higher energy bills and noted the centers promise very few jobs by scale. A petition asking for more guarantees from local officials in Brandon over a data center being built there now has over 1,000 signatures. Katherine Lin How do you think your leaders are doing in balancing economic growth and environmental concerns when it comes to data centers? Email me at [email protected]  xAI in Mississippi Some DeSoto County residents living close to the makeshift power plant fueling xAI’s Memphis data centers have raised concerns about the plant’s near constant noise and environmental issues.  xAI is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, whose company is building two data centers across state lines in Memphis.  One longtime resident said the noise started at a low level in August but has gotten louder. He told Mississippi Today, “I can’t live here like this for another nine months. It’s going to drive me crazy.” READ MORE: Southaven residents fear pollution, complain of noise, from Elon Musk’s xAI data-center turbines Amazon’s next move In November, Amazon announced it will be building a new $3-billion data center in Warren County. The new center will create about 200 new jobs. It will not require any more state funds beyond an original 2024 agreement in which the state provided $44 million and loaned Amazon $215 million, along with tax breaks.  Amazon is already constructing two data centers in Madison County, bringing its total investment to $29 billion in the state.  Entergy promises upgrades without higher price tag Speaking of energy, Entergy has said that its historic investment into upgrading the grid won’t result in higher rates. Entergy Mississippi CEO, Haley Fisackerly recently told the Clarion Ledger that Amazon and data centers will pay “a larger share of the cost of the business.” Fisackerly recently told Mississippi Today that multiple companies are exploring bringing new data centers to the state. Data centers require huge amounts of electricity and water, and many of the deals involve energy companies. READ MORE: Entergy Mississippi CEO Fisackerly answers questions on data centers and electricity rates Other news: ‘A charming Southern haberdashery,’ continuing debate over BP settlement spending The New York Times named Oxford’s Hinton Hinton one of the 50 best stores in America. The store was described as a “charming Southern haberdashery.” The Mississippi Gulf Coast Restoration Fund’s handling of the $750 million settlement from BP’s 2010 oil spill has once again come under scrutiny. In a letter to the state Legislature, Bill Cork, executive director of the state’s economic development agency, wrote, “this year’s applicant pool does not reflect a coordinated regional strategy or the transformational impact envisioned when the Legislature created the GCRF.” The fund is no stranger to controversy. In 2022, the Sun Herald wrote that the Fund was “failing to meet any conventional measure of success for an economic development program.”  Hope Credit Union opened the HOPE Economic Empowerment Center in Jackson. The center will offer financial products and services, training and education to expand economic mobility. In a release, Jackson Mayor John Horhn said the new center transformed a vacant city property into a place that will offer financial products and services for individuals, families, and small business owners, along with homebuyer education, entrepreneurial training, and a multipurpose space designed for community engagement.  BWC Terminals, a large liquid-storage company, is opening a new facility in Pascagoula. According to the Mississippi Development Authority, the $316-million investment will create 25 jobs. The new site is part of an agreement with the nearby Chevron Pascagoula Refinery. A quick housekeeping note: the last Marketplace of 2025 will come out on 12/18 and we’ll be back on 1/8/2026 talking about the start of the Mississippi legislative session. ...read more read less