For companies that have made substantial investments in their mining facilities, officials have approved transition plans to gradually increase energy rates over the next two years.

"We need to have some sort of transition. That's important for business," PUD Commissioner Ann Congdon told the Wenatchee World on Tuesday. "I understand how businesses need that in order to plan."

Under the new pricing plan, Salcido can keep his Chelan facility on the lower, high-density energy rate if he processes data instead of mining crypto. The data processing uses the same amount of power as crypto mining, he told the Wenatchee World.

"Do you really want to be in the business of regulating what kind of processing happens on servers in your territory," Salcido said.