Residents are not happy with new Bitcoin mining operations in Texas

As previously covered by Bitcoin.com, bitcoin mining company Riot Blockchain announced the development of a 1-gigawatt bitcoin mining site on a 265-acre site in Navarro County.

The same company already has operations in Rockdale, Texas, and the new facility will be the largest bitcoin mining facility in the world. As NBCDFW reports, at a time when the power and water supply is tight, local residents are not enthusiastic about the new energy-intensive mining facility.

Riot Blockchain is not the only cryptocurrency mining company to have moved to Texas. Other companies like Blockcap, Cleanspark and Compute North have already expanded their operations to Texas. One of the reasons for this migration is the productive development of renewable energy facilities east of the state.

Why renewable energy? Well, because these operations use so much energy. According to Texas Monthly, Last year, China was concerned that the amount of fossil fuels burned to keep bitcoin mines afloat affected its climate and pollution reduction targets. In 2018, Quebec regulators had to instruct the local tool to temporarily stop operating new mines. At the time, MIT Technology Review reported that a facility in Saint-Hyacinthe consistently drew more energy than the Montreal Canadiens’ hockey arena in sold-out matches.

In the face of these setbacks, companies are moving to areas where renewable energy is available. According to CNN, zero carbon electricity sources represented almost 38% of the state’s power in 2021. Peter Wall, CEO of Argo Blockchain, explained to Texas Monthly that the facility’s location in Dickens County offers affordable land and some of the cheapest electricity in the state thanks to the nearby wind farms.

But in Navarro County, the site is located next to a traditional power switch, providing easy access to power supplies, while city officials have said (via NBCDFW) that they can provide the large amounts of water the company needs to cool huge computer installations.

Residents formed a group called Concerned Citizens of Navarro County to make their doubts about these plans heard. “We can not keep the lights on as they are. Adding something like this to load our network is going to be catastrophic, says Jackie Sawicky, one of the residents in the group, to NBCDFW.

Stoic Energy consultant Doug Lewin explained that Texas needs additional regulations that do not yet exist for cryptocurrencies. “If we go along the path we have without effective regulation, the potential for problems on our network is quite high,” he told NBCDFW. “But the opposite is true. With a little sensible regulation, I think it is entirely possible that Bitcoin can increase reliability and lower costs. “

If, as crypto mining companies claim, the development of this type of plant encourages the construction of solar and wind power plants, these sources could have a relieving effect on Texas’ power grid. At the moment, the inhabitants are not so safe.