The votes came following a public hearing on Monday, August 31, that drew roughly 25 people. Residents, township officials, economic development representatives and representatives of Nebius spent much of the hearing discussing the potential economic benefits of the project along with concerns involving noise, water usage, stormwater runoff, electricity demand and impacts on neighboring communities.
Nebius is proposing a 1.2-gigawatt AI data center campus encompassing more than 600 acres at Highridge.
Nebius already controls adjacent property at Highridge acquired by a subsidiary earlier this year. The additional parcels included in Monday's overlay expansion remain owned by the Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation, or SEDCO. According to information presented regarding the project, Nebius has an agreement of sale to acquire that additional property contingent upon expansion of the data center overlay.
The August 31 hearing continued proceedings from August 18, when the two ordinances were discussed but ultimately tabled.
Supervisors Approve Data Center Overlay Expansion
Ordinance 2026-2 expands Butler Township's existing data center overlay district within the Interchange I-1 Zoning District to include additional property at Highridge.The ordinance passed 2-1, with Supervisors Kate Staudenmeier and David E. Kessler voting in favor and Supervisor Patrick Coyle voting against.
Coyle later told Skook News that his vote should not be interpreted as opposition to the proposed data center.
"I feel what they have is enough," Coyle said, explaining that he believes Nebius already has sufficient land to accomplish what it needs to do.
An important point raised during the hearing was that township zoning regulations establish where data centers can be located and the standards under which they can operate.
It was explained during the meeting that municipalities cannot simply prohibit a legitimate land use throughout a township. Establishing zoning provisions for data centers gives Butler Township parameters governing where that type of development can occur rather than leaving the use unaddressed.
The discussion compared the situation to wind turbines years earlier, when the township had to establish regulations for a use that had not previously been addressed.
"A developer or any property owner can't submit plans unless they know what ordinance provisions they're submitting it to," one speaker explained. "That's why consideration has to be done for these ordinances so that we know what are the parameters under which they have to design them."
The vote does not give Nebius final approval to begin construction. Plans for the campus would still have to proceed through Butler Township's land development process, including review by the township Planning Commission and approval by the Board of Supervisors.
Second Ordinance Lowers Noise Limit
Supervisors also unanimously approved Ordinance 2026-3, with Staudenmeier, Kessler and Coyle all voting in favor.Among its provisions, the ordinance lowers the applicable maximum noise level for data centers from 75 dBA to 65 dBA at the property line and requires good-faith negotiations toward a Community Benefits Agreement during the land-development process.
Noise became one of the biggest topics of discussion throughout Monday's hearing.
Nebius Estimates 100 to 150 Permanent Jobs
John Sutter, public affairs director for Nebius, answered questions about the company and what it proposes to develop at Highridge."We are an AI cloud company, so all of our work is on Nvidia GPUs," Sutter said.
Sutter said Nebius is based in Amsterdam and does not have U.S. government contracts.
Employment was among the potential economic benefits discussed during the hearing.
"We try to be conservative based on what we've seen with other sites around the US," Sutter said. "I think the 100 to 150 range is what we'd expect for this site."
Information presented about the overall development has also estimated approximately 1,000 construction jobs.
Twardzik Calls Highridge the "Right Spot"
State Rep. Tim Twardzik (R-123), who also serves on SEDCO's Board of Directors, spoke in support of the proposed development during the hearing.Twardzik acknowledged the controversy that has surrounded data center proposals but argued that location is an important part of determining whether such a development is appropriate.
"Data centers are the boogeyman right now," Twardzik said.
He urged those in attendance to consider the potential economic impact of the project, pointing to an estimated $11 billion to $15 billion investment.
"This is a business that's going to invest ... 11 to 15 [billion] dollars here," Twardzik said. "That's amazing."
Twardzik argued that a data center belongs in an appropriate industrial setting rather than on agricultural property or immediately beside residential neighborhoods.
"A data center in the right location, built by the right company who want to cooperate ... is important to us," Twardzik said. "It doesn't belong on farms. It doesn't belong in a community next to homes 200 feet away. But this is the right spot."
"This will be a big boom for Schuylkill County," Twardzik said.
Nebius Says Facility Would Not Generate Its Own Power
Electricity demand was another significant subject of questioning during the hearing.The proposed campus has been described as potentially requiring as much as 1.2 gigawatts of power.
Sutter said Nebius has a contract with PPL and maintained that the utility has the ability to serve the site.
"We have a contract with PPL. PPL has the ability to serve our site and has the generation," Sutter said.
"We pay for our full cost of power. And that's the way that our contract is set up, and that we aren't going to impact your rates."
Speaking with the press following the meeting, Sutter also made a distinction between the proposed Butler Township facility and other data centers where power generation has contributed to noise complaints.
Sutter said the proposed Highridge facility would not generate its own electricity during normal operations.
According to Sutter, generators producing electricity have been responsible for noise issues at some other facilities. The Highridge facility would instead receive its normal operating electricity from the power grid.
The facility would have backup generators in the event of a loss of electrical service, but Sutter said they would not be used as its regular source of power.
The primary source of operational noise, he said, would instead come from the air-conditioning and cooling equipment needed to keep the data center operating.
Nebius Sound Study Estimates Noise Levels
Sutter presented results from an internal Nebius sound study examining expected noise levels from the proposed Highridge campus.The study factored in weather conditions, including hot weather when cooling equipment would be operating more heavily and potentially generating the most noise.
According to Nebius' preliminary estimates, sound levels would be approximately 60 to 63 decibels at the data center property line.
At residential property lines near the bottom of the mountain toward Gordon, Nebius estimates sound levels would fall to approximately 34 to 40 decibels.
For comparison, a box fan operating inside a room produces roughly 50 decibels of sound.
The estimates, however, did not eliminate concerns from residents.
Several speakers focused specifically on the difference between A-weighted decibels, or dBA, and C-weighted decibels, or dBC.
Residents argued that low-frequency sounds from cooling equipment may not be adequately reflected by a dBA measurement and asked the township to consider incorporating dBC limits.
John Gower of Frackville was among those who raised concerns about the project and urged the township not to move too quickly.
"They need to earn their keep here," Gower told supervisors.
Gower also asked officials to examine dBC levels, arguing that low-frequency sounds people do not necessarily hear can still have an impact.
Other speakers pointed to complaints and litigation involving a data center operation in New Jersey, where nearby residents have alleged that a constant humming noise interfered with their sleep and quality of life.
Concerns were also raised about regulatory and permitting disputes involving that facility.
Sutter's comments following the meeting emphasized that the proposed Butler Township facility would differ because it would not rely on generators to produce its electricity during normal operations.
Officials were also questioned about why Butler Township did not lower its noise limit further.
It was explained that an excessively restrictive threshold imposed on industrially zoned property could potentially be challenged on the grounds that it effectively prevents otherwise permitted industrial uses.
The ordinance approved Monday reduces the maximum from 75 dBA to 65 dBA.
SEDCO Addresses Water and Stormwater Concerns
SEDCO President Frank Zukas addressed another major concern, whether the development could affect the area's water supply or private wells.Zukas said approximately 37,000 gallons of water per day are proposed to be supplied to the data center through the Mount Laurel water system.
"That system has got the capacity of 1.6 million gallons per day," Zukas said. "There is no need to drill wells. There is no need to even get close to saying we're near the capacity of the water system."
Information presented during the hearing indicated that the facility would utilize a closed-loop water system.
Zukas also addressed concerns from Gordon residents about stormwater runoff from development on the mountain.
He said the site is designed to hold water on the mountain.
Zukas pointed to the development plan previously approved for the property when two 1-million-square-foot warehouses were proposed. That plan received approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and remains subject to oversight from DEP and the Schuylkill Conservation District.
Zukas argued that the data center would have a smaller impact than those warehouses.
"One of the benefits or changes of impact of the project is that there will not be a high-volume driveway required because there will be no trucks," Zukas said.
"The footprint and the impact on the impervious surface in the location is going to be a fraction of what it was for the two warehouses."
Gordon Residents Question Downstream Impact
The site's location on Gordon Mountain generated particular concern from people living below it.
Gordon resident, Tom Dando, pointed out that borough residents do not vote for Butler Township supervisors despite potentially experiencing effects from development occurring above their community.
"When you live in Gordon, it's a little bit different because we don't really have a vote, but yet we're at the bottom of the mountain, which could create some problems," the resident said.
Residents questioned how stormwater would be controlled and what protections would exist for homeowners relying on private wells.
"If those people have a well and their well goes dry, then do they have to pay for a new well or does this company pay for a new well?" one speaker asked.
The questions highlighted a recurring concern throughout the hearing: while the development would be located within Butler Township, potential environmental effects could extend into neighboring Gordon.
Community Benefits Agreement Draws Questions
Residents also questioned why the township should approve the ordinances before a Community Benefits Agreement, or CBA, has been finalized.Some argued that commitments involving the developer, township and surrounding communities should be put in writing before the project advances rather than negotiated later.
One resident argued that the agreement should cover the project "soup to nuts" before further approvals move forward.
Under Ordinance 2026-3, a data center developer would be required to pursue good-faith negotiations toward a Community Benefits Agreement as part of the land-development process.
Fire protection was also discussed, particularly what demands a large data center could place on area emergency responders.
Officials indicated that subsequent land-development requirements would address emergency access and specialized fire protection and include coordination involving training and equipment with local fire companies.
Kessler Says Board Is Putting Trust in Nebius
Following the votes, Board Chairman David Kessler defended the supervisors' handling of the proposal.
"This board has never done anything without the best interest of this township," Kessler said.
Kessler acknowledged that some of what happens next will depend on Nebius following through on commitments the company has made publicly.
"We do take people sometimes at their word. We have to," Kessler said. "It's not only Nebius. It's a lot of folks that come in and say things or do things. We trust them."
"Maybe sometimes that's bad to a fault but I don't think so," he continued. "It's been proven many times over that it's been successful. I hope we're right here but time will tell."
Ordinances Move Proposal Forward, But More Approvals Remain
Monday's votes represent another step toward allowing Nebius to pursue its full proposed data center campus at Highridge, but they do not constitute final approval for construction.Nebius already controls adjacent Highridge property. The additional parcels affected by Monday's overlay expansion remain owned by SEDCO, with Nebius having an agreement of sale for the land contingent upon the zoning change.
The company's plans would still need to proceed through Butler Township's formal land-development process, including review by the Planning Commission and approval by the Board of Supervisors, along with other required permits and regulatory reviews.
For supporters such as Sutter, Zukas and Twardzik, the proposal represents the potential for an $11 billion to $15 billion investment, approximately 1,000 construction jobs and an estimated 100 to 150 permanent positions, while locating the development in an established industrial area.
For residents who remain concerned, Monday's votes did not end questions surrounding noise, low-frequency sound, stormwater, private water supplies, electricity demand and the protections that will ultimately be contained in a Community Benefits Agreement.
The August 31 votes instead establish additional zoning and operating parameters under which Nebius will have to proceed if it moves forward with its full Highridge data center campus.