DOE Seeks Industry Insight on Crypto Mining Energy Consumption

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is renewing its efforts to survey crypto mining energy consumption after a previous attempt was halted by a lawsuit. The Energy Information Administration (EIA), the DOE’s statistical arm, held a public webinar on Wednesday to gather comments from the public, particularly from crypto miners and industry stakeholders.

Steve Harvey of the EIA led the discussion, aiming to incorporate feedback into the upcoming survey ahead of the rule-making proposal, which will be published in the Federal Register.

In February, the DOE had issued an emergency data collection request from crypto mining companies, citing Bitcoin’s recent 50% price increase as the justification. However, the Texas Blockchain Council and bitcoin mining company Riot Platforms sued the DOE in March, alleging “targeted misuse of government emergency authority.” The lawsuit led to an agreement that required the EIA to destroy the information collected from the mining firms.

During the webinar, Harvey highlighted three key areas to address before framing a new survey:

1. Important Factors: Identifying critical factors industry players consider regarding energy use in Proof-of-Work (PoW) crypto mining.
2. Data Collection: Determining what specific data should be collected from miners.
3. Existing Information: Exploring whether existing information could replace the survey to reduce costs.

Harvey acknowledged the challenges faced in the first survey, including identifying market participants and the dynamic nature of the mining industry. The new survey design will require DOE approval before implementation.