Washington County, UT Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Crypto Mining Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 10-4-1 definition; § 10-11-2 use chart
- Capacity cap
- 10 to 50 MW; larger not permitted
- Allowed zone
- Industrial (IND) only, not MFG
- PUE requirement
- 1.2 or less
- Water certification
- Alliance for Water Stewardship required
- Adopted
- Ord. 2026-1321-O, May 19, 2026
Summary
Washington County caps every data, AI, or crypto mining center at 50 megawatts of capacity under Code § 10-4-1's definition, with facilities above that size 'not permitted.' The use chart in § 10-11-2 allows crypto and data centers only in Industrial zones between 10 and 50 megawatts.
DATA, AI, CRYPTO CENTER: Specialized facilities for storage, management, processing, or transmission of digital data, cloud services, blockchain validation (GPUs, CPUs, ASICs, etc.), or high-density compute environments for machine learning, neural networks, or training data via the interconnection and operation of information technology, network telecommunications, and utility infrastructure. County regulations apply to all facilities, regardless of the generation method, that use or seek approval to use ten megawatts of capacity and up to a maximum of 50 megawatts of capacity. Larger-capacity facilities are not permitted. A facility may be used by one or multiple owners or customers, but all are responsible for operational compliance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-17: Code current through: Ord. 2026-1329-O, passed 8-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
" The definition sets the county's hard capacity ceiling: "County regulations apply to all facilities, regardless of the generation method, that use or seek approval to use ten megawatts of capacity and up to a maximum of 50 megawatts of capacity. " The Manufacturing and Industrial Use Chart at § 10-11-2 confirms the use is permitted only in the Industrial (IND) zone, not the Manufacturing (MFG) zone, and repeats the "10 MW to 50 MW maximum" cap. 2 or less, a hard daily power-use ceiling of 50 megawatts regardless of source, and a yearly public report on the company website and in two local newspapers disclosing monthly water and electricity use.
These provisions were added to Title 10 by Ordinance 2026-1321-O, adopted May 19, 2026, which the county commission approved after a Planning Commission public hearing held May 12, 2026.
Violations & Fines
A crypto mining or data center facility that exceeds the 50-megawatt cap, skips the required Alliance for Water Stewardship certification, or fails to publish its annual monitoring report is out of compliance with § 10-11-2 and § 10-11-4. County Ord. § 10-1-22 penalizes Title 10 violations with a $250-per-day civil fine after a 10-day cure notice, or prosecution as a class B misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a size limit on crypto mining facilities in Washington County?
What zone allows a data or crypto mining center?
What operating standards apply to an approved crypto or data center?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
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