Alameda, CA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Dedicated ordinance
- None
- Use category
- No "data center" listing
- Alameda Point zones
- Enterprise-1, Adaptive Reuse
- By-right
- Office, Industrial-Light
- Conditional Use Permit
- Utilities-Large, Industrial-Heavy
Summary
The City of Alameda has no data-center ordinance and no data-center use category. Server facilities are classified into the nearest listed use - Office, Industrial-Light, or Utilities-Large - in citywide industrial areas or the Alameda Point Enterprise and Adaptive Reuse sub-districts.
If a proposed use is not listed in Table B Allowed Land Uses as a permitted or conditionally permitted use, it shall not be permitted unless the Community Development Director or the Planning Board determines that the proposed use is substantially similar to a use specified as a permitted or conditionally permitted use in that Sub-district.
Full Breakdown
Alameda's zoning code, Municipal Code Chapter XXX, names no data-center use. The Alameda Point Zoning District, Section 30-4.24, carries the closest categories: Office, Industrial-Light, Industrial-Heavy, and Utilities-Large. In the Enterprise-1 and Adaptive Reuse sub-districts, Office and Industrial-Light are permitted by right; Industrial-Heavy and Utilities-Large require a Conditional Use Permit from the Planning Board under Section 30-21.3. Because no listing matches a server farm, the Community Development Director or Planning Board must first find the use substantially similar to a listed one. The City Council rejected a data-center lease at Alameda Point in 2019.
Violations & Fines
Operating a data center without a required Conditional Use Permit, or in a sub-district where the use is not listed, is a zoning violation enforced by the Planning, Building and Transportation Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a data center be built in the City of Alameda?
Has the City of Alameda ever rejected a data center?
Who sets data-center rules in the City of Alameda?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alameda
California rules heatmap·Compare Alameda to another location·View the California data centers & crypto mining overview
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Data Center Zoning & Siting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle data center zoning & siting.