Texas PUC Launches Legal War: The High-Stakes Crypto Mining Data Dispute
To stop the release of cryptocurrency mining data, the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) has taken the unprecedented step of suing State Attorney General Ken Paxton. The commission contends that disclosing this information to the public may jeopardize the state’s electrical infrastructure. The June complaint contests a decision made by Paxton’s office that would have mandated that the PUC provide information to reporters from The Texas Tribune and Straight Arrow News.
Texas Faces Massive Electricity Surge as Bitcoin Mining Expands
Though its entire scope is yet unknown, Texas has become one of the biggest Bitcoin mining hotspots in the US. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) projected in 2024 that cryptocurrency mining might already be responsible for around 2,600 megawatts of power demand, which is about the same amount of electricity used by the city of Austin on a hot summer day.
AEP, a major utility, has revealed that it has plans to build cryptocurrency miners in its service area in Texas alone, with a total load of 5,000 megawatts. It is predicted that by 2030, the state’s electricity consumption will have roughly doubled, largely due to Bitcoin mining.
Texas Secrecy Fight Heats Up Over Massive Crypto Mining Operations
Large-scale cryptocurrency mining using more than 75 megawatts must register with the PUC by February 2025, according to SB 1929, which was passed by lawmakers in 2023. The specific details in those registrations have not yet been made public. The committee, whose members are chosen by Governor Greg Abbott, is currently requesting a court order to prevent the information from being made public.
In the wrong hands, this information could be used by terrorists to plan attacks on Texas’s energy grid and critical infrastructure,
PUC lawyers
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