Bitcoin mining is once again under scrutiny as U.S. regulators now analyze its electricity consumption. The Biden administration has issued an “urgent data collection request” related to the energy consumption of Bitcoin miners. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) plans to begin data collection immediately next week.
People engaged in Bitcoin mining will have to respond with information about how much energy they use as part of an emergency data collection request approved by the Office of Management and Budget on January 26. This would include people who use computers to verify transactions and maintain the blockchain in exchange for newly minted tokens.