Data Centers & Crypto Mining in Buncombe County, NC (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Buncombe County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Data Center Zoning & Siting
Data centers of 5,000 square feet or more need a pre-construction sound study and can't exceed 55 dBA at the property line under Buncombe County's zoning ordinance. Operations must be fully enclosed in a building, cooling equipment and generators must sit at least 100 feet from residential property, and generators can't be tested between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
Data Center Zoning Standards in Buncombe County
Some RestrictionsBuncombe County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 78-678(a)(6) (Data center standards)
Data center. Standards for non-crypto currency data centers shall be as follows:a.A pre-construction sound study shall be conducted at the property to establish a noise baseline, and the development shall include sound mitigation measures to ensure that noise levels from the data center and all associated equipment does not exceed levels observed during the baseline study. In no case shall a da...
Data Center Noise Limits
Non-crypto-currency data centers in unincorporated Buncombe County cannot exceed 55 dBA at the property line at any time of day, and must run a pre-construction sound study to set a noise baseline before mitigation is designed, under Code Sec. 78-678(a)(6). The use is permitted with special requirements in the CS, EMP, PS and AI zoning districts.
Buncombe County Data Center Noise Limit: 55 dBA
Some RestrictionsBuncombe County Code Sec. 78-678(a)(6)
(6)Data center. Standards for non-crypto currency data centers shall be as follows:a.A pre-construction sound study shall be conducted at the property to establish a noise baseline, and the development shall include sound mitigation measures to ensure that noise levels from the data center and all associated equipment does not exceed levels observed during the baseline study. In no case shall a...
Crypto Mining Rules
Buncombe County's zoning ordinance flatly bans crypto-currency mining operations anywhere in the county. Sec. 78-581 defines the use and states outright that it isn't permitted, and the permitted use table backs that up by leaving every one of the county's twelve zoning districts blank for the use, meaning there's no path to a permit.
Crypto Mining Banned Countywide in Buncombe County
Heavy RestrictionsBuncombe County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 78-581 (Definitions, Crypto-currency mining operation)
Crypto-currency mining operation means a process to verify transactions on the blockchain, enter new cryptocurrency unit into circulation, or perform other hardware or software processes to generate crypto information, processing, or distribution using computer servers. Crypto-currency mining operations are not permitted in Buncombe County.
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