The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) will begin tracking electricity consumption by cryptocurrency mining companies operating in the United States, the agency said on Wednesday. Starting next week, the EIA will begin a survey of select bitcoin miners, which will be required to respond with their energy use details, as part of an emergency collection of data request authorized by the Office of Management and Budget on Jan. 26. “We will specifically focus on how the energy demand for cryptocurrency mining is evolving, identify geographic areas of high growth, and quantify the sources of electricity used to meet cryptocurrency mining demand,” EIA Administrator Joe DeCarolis said in a statement. Miners of the digital coins have come under scrutiny in recent years for their energy-intensive operations, and for the impact their activity has on electric grids and carbon emissions.
US energy data agency to track crypto mining power use
