County says closed‑loop cooling will be required in draft data‑center ordinance

At an extended presentation after the formal meeting, county staff said closed‑loop cooling will be a required element of any data‑center ordinance to prevent ongoing withdrawal of groundwater. Miss Dukes described closed‑loop systems as those that ‘‘do not discharge into a wastewater system’’ and said the county will require independent hydrogeologic studies that estimate annual water usage and explain wastewater handling before a certificate of occupancy is issued.