San Antonio's Relaxed Approach to Data Centers & Crypto Mining: What's Allowed
Every city handles data centers & crypto mining a little differently. In San Antonio, Texas, there are 2 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.
Crypto Mining Rules
San Antonio has no ordinance targeting cryptocurrency mining. Facilities are allowed by right in nonresidential zoning like any data-processing use. The only mandatory rule is Texas's requirement that large miners over 75 megawatts register with the state utility commission.
Key details: Local ordinance: None specific to crypto mining. Zoning status: By right in nonresidential districts. State threshold: Over 75 MW interruptible load. Register with: Public Utility Commission of Texas. Deadline: One business day after service begins.
Running a 75-plus-megawatt mining facility on the ERCOT grid without registering with the Public Utility Commission violates state law; the PUCT's implementing rule treats non-registration as a Class A violation carrying penalties up to $25,000 per day.
The rules around crypto mining rules in San Antonio lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.
Data Center Zoning & Siting
San Antonio's UDC has no dedicated data-center use. Data centers fall under "Office Data Processing & Management" in the Nonresidential Use Matrix, permitted by right in office, C-2/C-3 commercial, downtown, and light and general industrial districts, but not in residential or neighborhood-commercial zones.
Key details: Use category: Office Data Processing & Management. Permitted by right: O, C-2, C-3, D, L, I-1 zones. Not allowed: Residential, NC, C-1, I-2. Special-use permit: Not required. Governing code: UDC 35-311, Table 311-2.
Siting a data center in a district where the use is not listed, any residential district, NC, C-1, or I-2, violates the UDC; Development Services can deny permits and pursue zoning enforcement.
San Antonio is more permissive than most cities when it comes to data center zoning & siting. That said, there are still limits.
The Bottom Line
Compared to many U.S. cities, San Antonio gives residents more room on data centers & crypto mining. 2 of the 2 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.
These rules come from San Antonio's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.