The public will have a chance to learn more about a planned data center in Kline Township during public meetings from 5 to 8 p.m. June 30 and July 1 in the gym of McAdoo-Kelayres Elementary School, 15 Kelayres Road, McAdoo.

Rebecca “Becky” Ford, in charge of economic development — global infrastructure expansion for developer Amazon Web Services, on Wednesday told Schuylkill County commissioners about the meetings.

She also said the company would be creating a website within a week or so, with a link appearing on the county website.

Ford, along with Amazon outside attorney Jeffrey Wilhelm, said the public meetings will include a PPL representative along with other experts to answer questions about energy and water use, noise levels and other areas of concern among residents who live nearby.

The small community of Haddock, Luzerne County, near the Schuylkill County border, is nestled near the planned center.

Wilhelm said the data center would use 15,000 gallons of water daily, with 100,000 gallons daily reserved in case it is needed.

He said that for 96% of the year, outside air would be sufficient to cool the equipment. Ford said the water, treated with only a small amount of chlorine, would flow through pipes and not touch any of the equipment.

She said the company would pay for all energy equipment, and that the data center operation “won’t drive up local rates.”

Asked by Commissioners Chairman Larry L. Padora Jr., she said “ consumer demand” is driving the construction of data centers.

Ford said the center would employ 400 to 500 people at jobs paying between $80,000 to $100,000 a year.

The jobs include HVAC, mechanical, electric, and fiber optics.

She said the company is working with Luzerne County Community College to taylor classes to train students for the work needed. Ninety percent of the jobs require only a two-year degree, she said.

Wilhelm addressed the noise concern, saying the center would be in an area adjacent to Interstate 81, which produces between 60 to 70 decibels, and is already designated for industrial use. The noise level would not exceed township rules, he said.

The nine buildings housing the equipment would be about two stories tall.

After the commissioners’ meeting, Ford and Wilhelm spoke to reporters.

Wilhelm said “data centers are permitted by right where this property is. When we purchased the property, there was a land development plan approval in place to build four warehouses over three million square feet.

“We’re modifying that plan to put nine separate data centers that are going to be roughly around 226,000 square feet each,” he said.

They would cover about 2.2 million square feet.

Further, the buildings would be two stories high, less than 80 feet, rather that one story, so less land would be covered, reducing water runoff.

That’s less than the warehouses would have covered. He noted that there also would be much less truck traffic.

Currently, the project is in the first of two steps the township planning commission requires. After that, township supervisors would need to hold a public hearing before signing off on the project.

Ford anticipates the first building going up in 2028.

Situated on the 380-acre site of a formerly planned four-warehouse project on Lofty Road between I-81 and Route 309, the project would build nine data centers, an administration building, a water building, a security building, and six utility rooms, with associated parking, utilities, and stormwater management, according to county planning/zoning agenda information.

According to the Pennsylvania government website, the project was designated for “fast track acceptance” on May 22, 2025. It would “support cloud computing infrastructure and advance AI innovation.”

AWS bought the land for $178 million last year.