Reading time: ~2 m
US Senate Banking Committee member Elizabeth Warren expanded the mining environmental impact request to six companies. This is stated in the press release.
In December 2021, the senator demanded that Greenidge Generation CEO Deffrey Kirt provide detailed data on the firm’s activities. Then she expressed the opinion that the consumption of electricity in the production of bitcoin is “comparable to the indicators of Denmark, Chile, Argentina and the state of Washington.”
The extended query mentions Riot Blockchain, Marathon Digital Holdings, Stronghold Digital Mining, Bitdeer, Bitfury Group, and Bit Digital. Warren asked each company to detail electricity consumption, scaling plans, agreements with energy firms, and the impact on consumer and small business rates by Feb. 10.
“The extremely high energy consumption and CO₂ emissions associated with bitcoin mining could undermine our hard work to overcome the climate crisis, not to mention the detrimental impact of mining on the local environment and electricity prices,” Warren said.
Earlier, in the House of Representatives of the US Congress, hearings were held on the mining of cryptocurrencies. During the discussion, the legislators called the issues of carbon emissions and energy efficiency a priority in any debate about mining. Representatives of the sector did not participate in the discussion.
Much Ado About Nothing: Why Bitcoin’s Ecological Impact Is Exaggerated
Recall that in January, experts from the Fitch Ratings rating agency admitted that mining in the United States could create financial risks for energy supply companies.
#senator #asks #mining #companies #environmental #impact #data
