Commercial cryptocurrency mining and data mining are prohibited in unincorporated areas of Gilmer County.

If Georgia law later prevents the County from banning these uses, the ordinance’s detailed restrictions in Sections 28-3 through 28-9 would apply instead.

The chapter applies to commercial cryptocurrency and data-mining operations installed, constructed, or modified after the ordinance’s effective date, so expansions and modifications are covered.

No commercial cryptocurrency or data-mining operation may be developed without site-plan review and verification by the planning and zoning department.

Before construction, renovation, or additions on CT-1 property, an approved site plan is required; the plan must reflect current site conditions and be sealed by a Georgia-licensed surveyor, engineer, or landscape architect. An approved as-built site plan is required before a certificate of occupancy.

Commercial cryptocurrency mining facilities may be located only in the CT-1 Commercial Technology zoning district.

CT-1 sites must contain at least 50 acres, excluding road rights-of-way from the minimum lot-size calculation.

CT-1 buildings must have 500-foot front, side, and rear setbacks.

A CT-1 district may have no more than one structure housing a cryptocurrency server farm per acre.

A CT-1 site must not adjoin or be contiguous to a residential or agricultural zoning district.

Commercial cryptocurrency mining facilities are limited to operating hours from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Operators must keep sound at property lines at or below a continuous level of 50 dBA.

Operations may not create prohibited pure tones or vibration levels under the specified one-third-octave-band limits, measured at the property line with a calibrated Type 1 sound meter using the required 15-minute testing procedures.

Before a certificate of completion or occupancy, the applicant must submit a noise-test report prepared by a noise-control engineering professional and must pay the testing and reporting costs.

The County may require the applicant to install a noise-reduction barrier or device when testing shows noncompliance, with the applicant responsible for the expense.

All servers, computers, processors, materials, and equipment must be enclosed within buildings subject to commercial design standards.

Prefabricated, pre-engineered, or modular structures must have concrete foundations, muted earth-tone exterior colors, and maintained facades; cargo containers, railroad cars, semitrailer trailers, and similar storage containers may not be used for any part of the operation.

Mining equipment must be housed in a metered, electrically grounded, pre-engineered metal structure rated to resist an internal electrical fire for at least 30 minutes, with fire baffles that automatically close independently of a possible electrical failure.

Before a building permit is issued, the applicant must obtain written verification from Georgia Power or Amicalola EMC that the proposed maximum electrical consumption and utility infrastructure have been evaluated and can safely support the operation during peak demand.

Power may be supplied only by Georgia Power or Amicalola EMC; alternative power sources such as solar, wind, or hydro are prohibited both on-site and off-site.

Air, dust, smoke, glare, exhaust, heat, and humidity generated by the operation must not be perceptible at or beyond the property line.

An eight-foot security fence must surround the server-farm building, and visible entrance signage must provide a 24-hour emergency contact, owner or representative information, and the local power company’s contact information.

No facade of a commercial cryptocurrency mining operation may expose more than 20 percent of its area to apparatus such as vents, fans, or HVAC systems.

Structures containing server farms must have an operational active clean-agent fire-protection system and high-sensitivity smoke detectors.

An externally located, clearly marked emergency electrical termination switch is required for every containment structure containing a server farm.

Server-farm structures must be individually metered, electronically grounded, and fire-rated for at least 30 minutes, with automatically closing fire baffles.

Building systems and requirements, including heat-transfer equipment, fire detection and suppression, and containment structures, must be designed by a Georgia-licensed engineer and comply with applicable codes and standards.

The temperature inside a server-farm containment space may not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and personnel may not regularly inspect or work inside it when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

When the average daily temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, a server farm may release no more than 20 percent of the heat generated by mining directly outdoors.

All operational requirements must continue after a certificate of occupancy is issued; violations may be treated as separate violations for each incident and continuing day.

Each violation may result in a fine of up to $1,000 per day, imprisonment for up to 60 days, or both.

If Georgia enacts a law preventing local governments from banning commercial cryptocurrency or data mining, the county’s operating standards in Sections 28-3 through 28-9 will apply instead of the prohibition.

The chapter applies only to commercial cryptocurrency and data-mining operations installed, constructed, or modified after its effective date, leaving existing unmodified operations outside these requirements.

Commercial cryptocurrency facilities may be located in the CT-1 Commercial Technology District, which is designated to provide space for cryptocurrency server farms.

No buffer is required for uses in the CT-1 district, reducing one potential site-development requirement.

The CT-1 district allows up to one structure housing a cryptocurrency server farm per acre, subject to the district’s other requirements.

Before a building permit, the applicant must obtain written verification from Georgia Power or Amicalola EMC that the utility supply and related electrical infrastructure can safely accommodate the facility’s maximum potential consumption during peak demand periods.

Commercial cryptocurrency mining and data mining are prohibited in the unincorporated areas of Gilmer County. If state law later prevents such bans, the remaining operating standards in Sections 28-3 through 28-9 apply instead.

The chapter applies to commercial cryptocurrency-mining and data-mining operations installed, constructed, or modified after its effective date, and requires compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal codes.

Commercial cryptocurrency facilities may be located only in the CT-1 Commercial Technology zoning district, which is intended to provide space for cryptocurrency server farms.

CT-1 sites must contain at least 50 acres, with 500-foot front, side, and rear setbacks.

A CT-1 development may not adjoin or be contiguous to a residential or agricultural district, and the district allows no more than one structure housing a cryptocurrency server farm per acre.

Development requires prior site-plan review and approval by the planning and zoning department. CT-1 site plans must be based on current site conditions, sealed by a qualified Georgia-licensed professional, and followed by approval of an as-built site plan before a certificate of occupancy is issued.

Operations are limited to 6:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m.

Structures must be harmonious and compatible with the site and surrounding properties; prefabricated, pre-engineered, or modular structures must have concrete foundations and muted earth-tone exterior colors, and cargo containers, railroad cars, semi-truck trailers, and similar storage containers may not be used.

Operators may not create a continuous sound level above 50 dBA at property lines or create prohibited pure tones or vibrations. Compliance testing must use specified calibrated equipment and procedures, and a noise-control professional's report must be submitted and paid for by the applicant before a certificate of completion or occupancy.

The County may require a noise-reduction barrier or device when testing shows noncompliance, with the applicant responsible for the cost.

All servers, computers, processors, materials, and equipment must be enclosed within buildings subject to commercial design standards.

Server-farm equipment must be housed in metered, electrically grounded structures with at least a 30-minute internal electrical-fire rating and automatically closing fire baffles. Facilities also require clean-agent fire suppression, high-sensitivity smoke detectors, an exterior emergency electrical shutoff, and designs prepared by a Georgia-licensed engineer.

Before a building permit is issued, the applicant must obtain written verification from Georgia Power or Amicalola EMC that the maximum electrical demand has been calculated and that the utility infrastructure can safely support it during peak consumption periods. Power may come only from Georgia Power or Amicalola EMC; alternative sources such as solar, wind, or hydro are prohibited.

Activities producing air, dust, smoke, glare, exhaust, heat, or humidity must be conducted so that the effect is not perceptible at or beyond the property line.

Each operation must install an eight-foot perimeter security fence and 24-hour emergency-contact signage identifying the company, owner or representative, telephone number, and local power company contact information.

No more than 20 percent of a facility facade may be exposed with apparatus such as vents, fans, or HVAC systems.

The temperature inside a server-farm containment space may not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and personnel may not regularly inspect or work there when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

When the average daily temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, no more than 20 percent of the heat dissipated by mining may be released directly outdoors.

Each violation is separately punishable, including multiple violations on the same or subsequent dates, with a maximum penalty of $1,000 per day for a continuing violation, imprisonment for up to 60 days, or both.

If Georgia law later prevents local governments from banning commercial cryptocurrency or data mining, the ordinance provides that its regulatory standards will govern those operations instead, preserving a path for them to operate in Gilmer County.

The CT-1 Commercial Technology District is expressly intended to provide adequate space for cryptocurrency server farms.

Commercial cryptocurrency mining facilities are eligible to locate in the CT-1 district, subject to the ordinance’s conditions, including a minimum 50-acre lot and 500-foot front, side, and rear setbacks.

The CT-1 district allows development at a density of up to one structure housing a cryptocurrency server farm per acre and requires no buffer.

The CT-1 district provides a defined site-plan approval process through the zoning administrator before construction, renovation, or additions, with an as-built site plan required before a certificate of occupancy.

A proposed operation may obtain utility-capacity verification from Georgia Power or Amicalola EMC, confirming that the utility infrastructure can safely accommodate the facility’s maximum electrical demand during peak consumption periods.

Before constructing, renovating, or adding any structure on a CT-1 tract, the applicant must submit a site plan for approval by the zoning administrator and any other necessary agencies. The plan must reflect current site conditions and be sealed by a Georgia-licensed registered land surveyor, professional engineer, or registered landscape architect. An approved as-built site plan is also required before a certificate of occupancy may be issued. (Prior to construction, renovation or addition)

CT-1 developments must maintain 500-foot front, side, and rear setbacks for principal and accessory buildings, unless another provision of the article specifies otherwise. (Front, 500 feet)

A CT-1 tract must contain at least 50 acres, excluding land within road rights-of-way. (The minimum lot size shall be 50 acres)

The CT-1 district limits density to no more than one structure housing a cryptocurrency server farm per acre. (No more than one structure housing a cryptocurrency server farm per acre)

A CT-1 site may not adjoin or be contiguous to any residential or agricultural district. (Must not adjoin or be contiguous to any residential or agricultural district)

Cryptocurrency server farms are listed as a permitted use in the county's land-use table, rather than being prohibited or requiring conditional-use approval. Cryptocurrency server farm — P

The CT-1 Commercial Technology District provides a designated zoning district for cryptocurrency server farms, allowing projects to use that district's specific development standards. The commercial technology district is intended to provide adequate space for cryptocurrency server farms.

The ordinance establishes a defined site-plan approval process: before construction, renovation, or additions, a site plan must be submitted to and approved by the zoning administrator and any other necessary agencies; an approved as-built site plan is required before a certificate of occupancy. Prior to construction, renovation or addition.

CT-1 projects may have up to one structure housing a cryptocurrency server farm per acre, subject to the district's other requirements. The density for the CT-1 district shall be no more than one structure housing a cryptocurrency server farm per acre.

No buffer is required for uses in the CT-1 district, reducing a site-design requirement for data-center development. No buffer is required for any use in the CT-1 zone district.