- Nebius plans a six-building, 1.2GW data center campus on 600 acres at Highridge Business Park in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, with power supplied by PPL [1] - The campus targets initial energization of 250-350MW by end of 2027, ramping approximately 300MW per year to full 1.2GW capacity [2] - Nebius broke ground on a separate 1.2GW campus in Independence, Missouri in May 2026, making Pennsylvania its second gigawatt-scale U.S. site [3] - The company spent $2.5 billion in Q1 2026 capex and reported revenue of $399 million, up 684% year-over-year [2] - Nvidia disclosed a 9.3% stake in Nebius in July 2026, following a $2 billion investment announced earlier in the year
[4] Nebius Group has detailed plans for a 1.2-gigawatt data center campus at Highridge Business Park in Butler Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The six-building complex would span approximately 600 acres across Butler, Cass, and Foster townships and take roughly three years to complete, with power supplied by utility PPL [1].
The campus — Nebius's second gigawatt-scale U.S. site — aims to be operational by the end of 2027, with an initial 250 to 350 megawatts online at that point. The company plans to add approximately 300MW per year until reaching the full 1.2GW buildout [2].
Nebius first disclosed the Pennsylvania site during its Q1 2026 earnings call in May, when it said it had secured up to 1.2GW of power and land for the owned campus. The more detailed plans emerged this week alongside the announcement of a community open house scheduled for August 6 at North Schuylkill High School in Ashland [1] [2].
The Site #
The Highridge Business Park campus would consist of six data center buildings across 600 acres in Schuylkill County, roughly 90 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The site spans three townships — Butler, Cass, and Foster — and sits in a region historically tied to coal mining and industrial use [1].
Nebius plans to use a closed-loop cooling system designed to minimize water consumption. The company stated that operational water use would be comparable to 'a comparable office building,' though final figures have not been disclosed. Sound barriers are also planned around the facility [1].
The project is expected to create approximately 100 permanent full-time positions and hundreds of construction jobs during the multi-year build phase. Nebius has indicated plans for academic partnerships with Penn State Schuylkill, Schuylkill Technology Center, and Schuylkill Community Education Council [1].
Power and Utility Arrangement #
PPL Corporation, the regional electric utility, would supply the campus's 1.2GW of power. Nebius has emphasized that it will bear the full cost of electricity with no charges passed to local ratepayers — a key talking point as communities across the U.S. scrutinize the grid impact of hyperscale data centers [1].
The phased ramp schedule — 250-350MW at initial energization by late 2027, then roughly 300MW additions annually — suggests full buildout would not arrive until approximately 2030 or 2031. This mirrors the timeline at Nebius's Missouri campus, where up to 10 buildings are planned across 400 acres with the same 1.2GW total capacity [2] [3].
Nebius's U.S. Buildout #
The Pennsylvania campus is the second gigawatt-scale site Nebius has announced in the United States. In May 2026, the company broke ground on its flagship AI factory campus in Independence, Missouri, a 400-acre development in the Eastgate Commerce Center designed for up to 1.2GW and expected to generate $30 million to $50 million in annual tax revenue for the city [3].
Nebius also operates or has planned smaller facilities in Vineland, New Jersey (up to 300MW) and Birmingham, Alabama. The company counts Meta, Microsoft, and Stanford University among its clients [1] [5].
The aggressive expansion is backed by substantial capital. In Q1 2026, Nebius spent approximately $2.5 billion on chip purchases, equipment, and data center buildouts — up from $544 million in Q1 2025. Revenue for the quarter hit $399 million, a 684% year-over-year increase from $50.9 million, with adjusted EBITDA of $129.5 million [2].
Nvidia Backing and Market Position #
Nebius's infrastructure push is supported by a $2 billion investment from Nvidia announced in March 2026. In July 2026, Nvidia disclosed a 9.3% ownership stake in Nebius, sending shares higher [4]. NBIS stock was trading near $198 in late July, giving the company a market capitalization of approximately $58.75 billion
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[6]The company, headquartered in the Netherlands, has set a target of deploying over 5 gigawatts of data center capacity by the end of 2030. The Pennsylvania and Missouri campuses alone account for 2.4GW of that pipeline [2] [3].
Community Response #
Not all local reaction has been favorable. Roseann Weinrich, a retired science teacher in the area, raised national security concerns regarding the company's ownership structure, noting that principals of Nebius's Dutch holding company have Russian ties [1].
Nebius has scheduled a community open house for August 6 at North Schuylkill High School in Ashland from 5 to 7 p.m. to address questions from residents. The company's emphasis on ratepayer protection, local hiring, and academic partnerships appears designed to preempt opposition that has met data center proposals in other regions [1].
Companies mentioned #
Further sources #
[[1] Times News Online – Data Center company eyes Schuylkill site, July 24, 2026 ↗](https://www.tnonline.com/20260724/data-center-company-eyes-schuylkill-site/)
[[2] Yahoo Finance – Nebius Q1 2026 earnings beat, Pennsylvania AI factory announced ↗](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nebius-q1-2026-earnings-beat-122602546.html)
[[3] Nebius press release – Nebius breaks ground on gigawatt-scale AI factory in Ind… ↗](https://nebius.com/newsroom/nebius-breaks-ground-on-gigawatt-scale-ai-factory-in-independence-missouri)
[[4] Rolling Out – Nebius stock surges 7% after Nvidia reveals its stake, July 21, 2… ↗](https://rollingout.com/2026/07/21/nebius-nvidia-stake-ai-cloud-stock-2026/)
[5] TipRanks – Nebius Group announces planned new data center in NJ with capacity u… ↗
[6] Robinhood – Nebius Group NBIS Stock Price, accessed July 27, 2026 ↗ The stories that matter, in one email. Free — unsubscribe anytime.