A representative for Nebius Inc. presented preliminary plans Wednesday to Schuylkill County Commissioners for a planned AI data center campus at Highridge Business Park in Butler Township.
If fully realized, the project would span roughly 600 acres across several parcels, according to Danielle Milich, U.S. public affairs manager for Nebius. The plans – which represent the project’s maximum scale – depend on the company acquiring two additional properties, currently owned by Schuylkill Economic Development Corp., surrounding the Walmart Distribution Center at Highridge.
According to Butler Township Solicitor Chris Riedlinger, Nebius is seeking to have those two adjacent parcels added to the township’s data center overlay zoning district, which was established last year. If the company cannot acquire the extra acreage, the overall project will likely be scaled down.
At maximum capacity, the proposed development would feature six single-story data center buildings. Milich said Nebius has secured an agreement with PPL Electric to supply up to 1.2 gigawatts of grid power to the campus.
Addressing public concerns regarding regional energy demands, Milich said utility customers would not absorb infrastructure costs.
“Power? We pay the full cost. Full stop, period. No bills are passed on to ratepayers, ever,” Milich said.
On the issue of water consumption, Milich said the campus will utilize a closed-loop cooling system. Once operational, she said the site’s water usage will be comparable to an office building of similar size. Nebius did not provide specific gallon estimates during the presentation.
To mitigate operational noise, Milich said the campus design incorporates integrated acoustic sound walls, aftermarket “ultra-quiet” cooling fans, and existing natural topographical barriers.
The project is expected to create hundreds of construction jobs over a three-year buildout, followed by 100 permanent full-time positions ranging from entry-level to advanced technical roles, Milich said.
County Parcel Locator records show Nebius purchased three parcels totaling roughly 358 acres at Highridge from NorthPoint Development for $187.5 million in April.
Nebius will hold a public open house from 5-7 p.m. on Aug. 6 at North Schuylkill Junior-Senior High School to provide further details and answer community questions.
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