Data Centers & Crypto Mining in Butte County, CA (2026)
2 rules for unincorporated Butte County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Data Center Zoning & Siting
Butte County has no dedicated data-center ordinance. In the unincorporated county a server facility is an industrial use, allowed in the Light Industrial (LI), General Industrial (GI), or Heavy Industrial (HI) zones under Zoning Code Chapter 24, with a Conditional Use Permit and CEQA review for larger campuses.
Butte County Data Center Zoning (LI, GI, HI Industrial)
Significant RestrictionsButte County Code, Ch. 24 (Zoning), Art. II, Div. 5, Sec. 24-25(B) General Industrial (GI) zone (Ord. No. 4062, Sept. 10, 2013; amended Ord. No. 4132, Sept. 12, 2017)
The purpose of the GI zone is to allow for a variety of industrial and service commercial uses in Butte County... In addition to the uses permitted in the LI zone, the GI zone also permits agricultural and timber processing and heavy manufacturing with the approval of a Conditional Use Permit.
Data Center Noise Limits
Unlike many rural counties, Butte County has a codified Noise Control Ordinance. Section 41A-7 caps noise at sensitive receptors at 50 dBA Leq daytime and 40 nighttime in non-urban areas (55/45 in urban areas). These limits apply to a data center's chillers, fans, and backup generators.
Butte County Data Center Noise Limits (Chapter 41A, 40-45 dBA night)
Some RestrictionsButte County General Plan 2030, Health and Safety Element, Policy HS-P1.6; numeric limits codified at Butte County Municipal Code Ch. 41A (Noise Control), Sec. 41A-7 (Exterior Noise Standards)
Applicants proposing a new noise-producing development project near existing or planned noise-sensitive uses shall provide a noise analysis prepared by an acoustical specialist with recommendations for design mitigation.
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