admin A state-owned electrical utility supplier within the Canadian province of British Columbia is about to halt all new electricity-connection requests from cryptocurrency miners for a interval of 18 months.
The British Columbia authorities made the announcement in a statement on Dec. 21 stating that the pause will permit the federal government and BC Hydro to develop a everlasting framework that may higher steadiness the wants of crypto miners and each its residents and companies within the area.
Josie Osborne, Minister of Power, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation stated that the transfer was made to protect the clear power it gives for its residents and companies that create jobs and are more environmentally friendly.
“Cryptocurrency mining consumes huge quantities of electrical energy to run and funky banks of high-powered computer systems 24/7/365, whereas creating only a few jobs within the native financial system.”
For the time being, BC Hydro gives service to seven crypto-mining operations. Six extra are within the superior levels of connection to the system, totaling 273 megawatts — these will not be anticipated to be impacted.
Nonetheless, new cryptocurrency mining tasks will be unable to provoke the method of reference to BC Hydro, and tasks on the early levels of the connection course of will even be halted, it stated, including that there are 21 cryptocurrency mining tasks which are presently requesting a complete of 1,403 megawatts of electrical energy.
The Ministry famous that that is equal to the power wanted to energy roughly 570,000 properties or 2.1 million electrical autos per 12 months within the province.
Associated: BTC energy use jumps 41% in 12 months, increasing regulatory risk
The British Columbia hydro and energy authority launched a report in Dec. 2022 titled Crypto conundrum, the place it warned that an “unprecedented stage” of requests for cryptocurrency mining operations may probably pressure the accessible power provide and result in larger electrical energy charges for residents of B.C. It famous:
“BC Hydro’s accessible power may very well be challenged by cryptocurrency mining operations, which may imply much less power for greener pursuits akin to electrification or hydrogen manufacturing, and better electrical energy charges for British Columbians.”
Statista reported that in early 2022, Bitcoin’s annualized electrical energy consumption reached a report excessive, estimated to be larger than Finland’s complete energy consumption, at an estimated “204.5 TWh per 12 months.”
New York lately imposed a moratorium on proof-of-work (PoW) mining, turning into the primary US state to take action, prohibiting any new mining operations that aren’t based mostly on 100% renewable power.
