Bitcoin miners win legal battle to keep mum about energy use

By Justine Calma , a senior science reporter covering climate change, clean energy, and environmental justice with more than a decade of experience. She is also the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home, a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals.

Crypto miners have successfully blocked the Department of Energy’s (DOE) survey of Bitcoin’s energy consumption in the US. A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order that prevents the DOE from moving forward with data collection.

More Bitcoin is mined in the US than anywhere else in the world, a trend that has sparked legal battles over the impact energy-hungry crypto mines have on the power grid, nearby communities, and the environment. The DOE announced last month that it would start to collect data on the electricity consumption of crypto mines, mandating that companies comply with the “emergency collection of data request.”

Industry groups were quick to challenge the move in court. The Texas Blockchain Council and Bitcoin mining company Riot Platforms filed suit, contending that the DOE’s implementation of the survey as an “emergency” action was unlawful. “Weaponizing an agency against law-abiding businesses for political reasons must not be permitted,” Brian Morgenstern, head of public policy at Riot Platforms, said in a post on X yesterday celebrating the legal victory.

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