A spokeswoman for Nebius Group, an AI cloud company based in the Netherlands, on Wednesday described plans to build a data center on 600 acres in the Highridge Business Park, Butler Township.

The company plans an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. on Aug. 6 at North Schuylkill High School, Ashland, to answer any questions people might have.

Danielle Milich, U.S. Public Affairs manager, said the six-building complex would take about three years to complete and use 1.2 gigawatts of power, to be provided by PPL.

Nebius would pay the whole cost of the power, she said.

“We pay the full cost. Full stop. Period. No bills are passed on to ratepayers ever,” she said.

The data center would use a closed-loop cooling system that would minimize water use, although Milich did not say how many gallons a day would be needed.

“We’re still working out the exact water figures,” Milich said. “Once operational, (it) uses the same amount as a comparable office building.”

The project would create 100 full-time jobs and hundreds of construction jobs. Wages would depend on the job and requirements.

Nebius will collaborate with Penn State Schuylkill, the Schuylkill Technology Center, or the Schuylkill Community Education Council, she said.

The buildings are designed to minimize noise, with sound barriers planned, Milich said.

Nebius is building at sites in Independence, Missouri, Birmingham, Alabama and Vineland, New Jersey.

Entities using Nebius’ services include Meta, Microsoft and Stanford University.

But at least one resident is skeptical.

Roseann Weinrich, a retired science teacher who lives in the Ashland area, told commissioners that 70 percent of the Dutch holding company’s principals are Russian, and she’s wary of that, concerned about national security.