Santa Barbara County, CA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Noise Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Exterior Standard
- 65 dB(A) CNEL at homes
- Already Above 65
- 3 dB(A) increase is significant
- Interior Standard
- 45 dB(A) CNEL
- Governing Doc
- Environmental Thresholds Manual (2021)
- Applied Via
- CEQA and permit review
Summary
Santa Barbara County has no numeric noise ordinance. Its Environmental Thresholds Manual treats a project as significant if it raises exterior noise at nearby homes above 65 dB(A) CNEL, or adds 3 dB(A) where it already exceeds 65. Data-center cooling and generators are conditioned to meet it via CEQA.
If existing exterior noise levels, including at outdoor living areas, experienced by sensitive receptors is below 65 dB(A) CNEL, and if the proposed project will generate noise that will cause the existing noise levels experienced by the sensitive receptors to exceed 65 dB(A) CNEL ... then the proposed project is presumed to have a significant impact.
Full Breakdown
Unincorporated Santa Barbara County has no property-line decibel ordinance for stationary sources. Continuous noise is instead judged under the County's Environmental Thresholds and Guidelines Manual (Noise Thresholds), applied during CEQA and permit review. A project is presumed to have a significant impact if it causes exterior noise at a sensitive receptor's outdoor living area, homes, schools, hospitals, places of worship, to exceed 65 dB(A) CNEL, or, where noise already exceeds 65, to rise by 3 dB(A). Interior living-area noise above 45 dB(A) CNEL is likewise significant. A data center's chillers, cooling fans, and backup-generator testing are engineered and conditioned to stay within these figures.
Violations & Fines
Noise exceeding a project's CEQA-based permit conditions is a permit violation. The County can require added mitigation, issue notices of violation through code enforcement, and, for continued noncompliance, move to revoke the discretionary permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can a data center be in unincorporated Santa Barbara County?
Where is data-center noise measured in Santa Barbara County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Barbara County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Barbara County to another location·View the California data centers & crypto mining overview
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