Walker County Data Center Panel Debates Draft Ordinance and Parcel Size Rules in Third Meeting
The Walker County Data Center Development Standards Study Committee is reviewing a draft ordinance to regulate data center development. Discussions include parcel size requirements, conditional use options, water capacity limits, and mandatory performance bonds. The committee also debated potential conflicts of interest among its members and is considering requirements for closed-loop cooling systems.
The Walker County Data Center Development Standards Study Committee held its third meeting to review a draft data center ordinance, focusing on proposed regulations for new facilities. Key discussions centered on Section 15, which mandates upfront performance and decommissioning bonds, and Section 3, which restricts data centers to industrially zoned districts with a 10-acre minimum parcel size.
Committee members, including District 1 Appointees Barney Danks and Jason Rader, debated whether the 10-acre minimum is appropriate for smaller "micro-facilities" and suggested allowing them in commercial zones with conditional use permits. Planning & Zoning Director Jon Pursley clarified that conditional use permits or variances could provide the Board of Commissioners case-by-case oversight. The committee also agreed to seek legal counsel on the defensibility of restricting facilities to established industrial parks.
Environmental and utility concerns were prominent. District 3 Appointee Laura Owsley questioned Barney Danks about his 8-megawatt Bitcoin mining facility and its use of older open-air cooling. This led to discussions about requiring modern closed-loop cooling systems for future developments. The committee also addressed water capacity, requiring developers to submit utility confirmation letters, and power infrastructure, considering a prohibition on on-site fossil fuel plants and requiring developers, not the county, to secure utility easements. The committee plans a tour of regional data centers and will discuss noise and lighting at its next meeting.
The committee aims to finalize its recommendations by December 4. The proposed ordinance will then undergo public hearings with the Planning & Zoning Board before a final vote by the Board of Commissioners, expected in early 2027.