Ware County amends zoning code to regulate data centers and require closed-loop cooling

Planning staff proposed text amendments to Articles 3 and 7 of the Ware County zoning ordinance to add definitions for a 'closed loop cooling system' and a 'data center,' to exclude cryptocurrency data centers from that definition, and to make data centers a conditional use in several industrial and agricultural zoning districts subject to noise and buffer requirements drawn from the county's cryptocurrency/data-mining ordinance (Ware County Code Chapter 68). Staff said closed-loop cooling would be required and that where a data center adjoins residential property, the Planning Commission or County Commission could require additional vegetative buffering.

Staff said the change was intended to fill a gap in the existing code (the county's cryptocurrency ordinance addressed crypto-mining but did not define data centers) and to ensure any proposed data centers would receive conditional review and public notice at both the Planning Commission and County Commission stages. Planning Commission had passed the amendment unanimously on March 12, 2026; the Board approved the change by voice vote.

A commissioner characterized the amendment as a proactive measure so that, should data-center proposals arise, the county and public would have clear review standards and opportunities for input. The amendment excludes cryptocurrency mining operations from the new data-center definition and relies on existing county noise and buffer rules to address potential impacts.

The ordinance amendment now requires staff to apply the new definitions and conditional-use criteria in future permit reviews and to consult with the Planning Commission on additional buffering when sites abut residential properties.