The environmental burden of the United States' Bitcoin mining boom
9 days ago
- #Bitcoin mining
- #Air pollution
- #Public health
- Bitcoin mines in the U.S. consumed 32.3 terawatt-hours of electricity from mid-2022 to mid-2023, 85% of which came from fossil fuels.
- 34 largest Bitcoin mines were studied, with a total capacity of 3,910 MW, and their operations led to significant PM2.5 air pollution.
- 1.9 million Americans were exposed to ≥0.1 μg/m³ of additional PM2.5 pollution from Bitcoin mines, often hundreds of miles away from the mines.
- Four regions—New York City, Houston/Austin, Northeast Texas, and the Illinois/Kentucky border—were identified as hotspots with the highest Bitcoin mine-attributable PM2.5 concentrations.
- Bitcoin mining operations often induce electricity production from some of the dirtiest coal-fired power plants, exacerbating air pollution and public health risks.
- The study highlights the need for federal regulation to address cross-state air pollution from Bitcoin mining, as state governments lack jurisdiction over out-of-state power plants.