Nebius 'AI factory' at Highridge Industrial Park (Butler Township, Schuylkill)
Also called: Highridge Campus
Nebius, a Netherlands-based AI company, is building a large data center in the Highridge Industrial Park in Butler Township. It plans up to four data halls on about 600 acres and says it will invest $13-15 billion. About 37,000 gallons of water a day are approved for the site.
Where things stand: Phases 1 and 2 are under construction. Supervisors voted 2-1 in Aug./Sept. 2026 to rezone land for Phase 3.
🕒 Latest update (Sept 2026): Supervisors voted 2-1 to add land to the data center district for Phase 3, and lowered the noise limit to 65 decibels at the property line.
What we know
- 📍 WhereHighridge Industrial Park, east side of Gordon Mountain Road, north of I-81; Phase 3 across the street next to the Walmart distribution center, Butler Township, Schuylkill County
- 🏢 CompanyNebius
- 👤 Built forNebius (AI computing capacity not yet sold)
- 🌳 Size600 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs1,200 megawatts (about as much as 960,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromPower from PPL Electric Utilities under a special agreement; Nebius says it pays for the power hookup. Batteries give about 30 minutes of backup power.
- 💧 WaterSchuylkill County Municipal Authority (Mount Laurel Reservoir) · 37,000 gallons a day
- ❄️ CoolingClosed-loop cooling
- 💵 Cost$13 billion
- 👷 Jobs promised150
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- How many megawatts will it use? (A tracker lists 1.2 gigawatts.) 🙋 I'll find out
- Will a community benefits agreement be signed, and what will it include? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will new power lines be needed? 🙋 I'll find out
- How many diesel generators are planned? 🙋 I'll find out
🔎 What we checked
- Oct 6, 2026: We checked the Susquehanna River Basin Commission's public list of water applications: there is no water application from this project. As of mid-2026, SRBC said Amazon's Salem Township campus was the only data center it had approved. A data center needs SRBC approval before it runs if it uses up (mostly by evaporation) more than 20,000 gallons a day on a 30-day average, or takes water from its own wells or streams above SRBC limits. The 37,000 gallons a day approved for the site by the water authority is water delivered; SRBC's limit counts only water that is used up, not all water delivered.
What happened so far
- 2026Nebius bought land in the Highridge Industrial Park from NorthPoint for $187.5 million; site already zoned for data centers.
- Aug 2026Open house: company said $13-15 billion investment, 1,000 construction jobs, 100-150 permanent jobs.
- Aug 18, 2026Construction equipment working on Phases 1 and 2.
- Sept 2026Supervisors voted 2-1 to add land to the data center district for Phase 3, and lowered the noise limit to 65 decibels at the property line.
- Oct 2027Nebius's target for the first phase (about 260 megawatts) to start running. It plans to grow to 1,200 megawatts by late 2029.
Local votes and rules
📜 Data center rules
Butler Township supervisors in Schuylkill County voted 3-0 for two data center ordinances. One rezoned land for a data center overlay of about 72 acres near Interstate 81 at Highridge Business Park. The other set rules for noise, fencing and cooling, and requires sound studies before and after building.
Drag the slider to compare the land before and now.
Where this comes from
- Butler supervisors clear hurdle for data center campus expansion at Highridge · The Shenandoah Sentinel · Sept 1, 2026
- Tech company discusses plans for 'AI factory' in Schuylkill County amid residents' concerns · WVIA · Aug 15, 2026
- Highridge Campus (Nebius, Butler Township) · More Than Just Parks Data Center Tracker
- PA DEP Data Center Permit Tracker · Pennsylvania DEP · Oct 6, 2026
- Highridge Business Park AI Factory · Nebius (company project page)
- Nebius contemplating 1.2 GW data center campus in Pennsylvania · W.Media · July 28, 2026
- Water Use by Data Centers in the Susquehanna River Basin - FAQ · Susquehanna River Basin Commission · 2026
- Water Application and Approval Viewer (WAAV) · Susquehanna River Basin Commission · Oct 6, 2026
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