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Does high electricity use matter?
My opinion is no
Here is a different perspective:
What exactly is bitcoin mining doing to the electric grid? In the last few years, the US has seen a boom in cryptocurrency mining, and the government is now trying to track exactly what that means for the consumption of electricity. While its analysis is preliminary, the Energy Information Agency (EIA) estimates that large-scale cryptocurrency operations are now consuming over 2 percent of the US's electricity. That's roughly the equivalent of having added an additional state to the grid over just the last three years.
The mining operations fall in two major clusters: one in Texas, and one extending from western New York down the Appalachians to southern Georgia. While there are additional ones scattered throughout the US, these are the major sites.
To better understand the implications of this major new drain on the US electric grid, the EIA will be performing monthly analyses of bitcoin operations during the first half of 2024. But based on these initial numbers, it's clear that the relocation of so many mining operations to the US will significantly hinder efforts to bring the US's electric grid to carbon neutrality.
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Texas power grid is not subject to federal regulation because it does not cross state borders. USA has 3 main power grid. Texas is one of them.
The article above was written before the restraining order blocking the energy department survey.
Does high electricity use matter? not if it's for something useful. my miner uses as much energy as I tell it to.
This is in part a PR war - if they saw bitcoin as useful as they see the US dollar, they simply wouldn't ask these questions.
nobody asks how much energy usage the US dollar uses - because they can't imagine a world where they're not using it.
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Completely
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10 sats \ 1 reply \ @Atreus 28 Feb
They don't use nearly enough. We need to crank it up and use more power. Way more power. Palpatine style if you know what I mean.
If you've heard of El Salvador's volcano mining… that's ballpark what I have in mind.
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Nuclear energy
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Article is outdated. EIA got sued and questionaires are on hold indefinitely.
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Texas has an independent power grid not subject to federal regulation
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Read the last paragraph
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Article is outdated because of energy survey on hold indefinitely.
Duly noted. @siggy47
This discussion is not about the survey.
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