A worker installs a new row of Bitcoin mining machines at the Whinstone US Bitcoin mining facility in Rockdale, Texas, on October 9th, 2021 | Photo by MARK FELIX/AFP /AFP via Getty Images
Crypto industry operations in the US use about as much electricity as all of the nation’s home computers combined, according to a report released today by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The report paints the clearest picture yet of what crypto operations are costing both power grids and the environment in the US. It also lays out some potential actions the Biden administration could take to address these challenges.
Democratic lawmakers in particular have been worried about whether the crypto industry that has exploded in the US over the past year might derail climate goals. And as extreme weather pushes power grids to their limits across the US, there’s growing concern that the most electricity-hungry…
