Bitcoin Mining Stalled in Central Texas Amid Heat Wave Predictions, Possible Power Outages
The majority of Bitcoin mining in Texas has been halted in Texas, USA after forecasts of severe heatwaves hit the headlines there. In order to maintain the right temperature on mining farms, electricity consumption in the area could be so high that it interferes with the supply of electricity to other residents of the state. As a result, the majority of BTC miners in Texas have shut down their machines. Bitcoin mining is inherently notorious for consuming loads of electricity and disrupting electricity supplies in neighboring areas.
Bitcoin Mining Texas players like Riot Blockchain and Agro Blockchain manage several power-hungry computers that are used by miners to solve complex algorithms and mine Bitcoins.
“More than 1,000 megawatts worth of Bitcoin mining loads have been turned off to save energy for the state network. This represents nearly all of the industrial-scale Bitcoin mining load in Texas and allows over 1% of total grid capacity to be pushed back to the grid for retail and commercial use,” a Bloomberg’s report quoted Lee Bratcher as saying. Bratcher is the President of the Texas Blockchain Association.
The decision of BTC miners to suspend their operations during extreme heat conditions was also influenced by the Texas electricity supplier, Electrical Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
According to one report by CryptoPotato, ERCOT, which monitors the electricity consumption of cryptocurrency miners, also feels that it is necessary to give BTC mining a break at the moment.
Miners are shutting down operations in Texas today to help maintain grid stability during the heatwave. #Bitcoin Mining has become an important part of the electrical grid in Texas. It will soon become an integral part of grid infrastructure around the world.
– Dennis Porter (@Dennis_Porter_) July 11, 2022
Texas emerges as a Bitcoin mining center after Chinese government criminalization all crypto-related activities earlier this year. Excessive electricity consumption in cryptocurrency mining is one of the important reasons why China has taken the drastic measure.
The state offers 10-year tax exemptions, sales tax credits, and state-funded workforce training to cryptocurrency miners, attracting more of them, a report of Data Center Dynamics said.
Currently, two of the largest cryptocurrency mining pools in the world are under construction in Texas.
Texas is ready to be #Bitcoin U.S. mining capital is the result of a deregulated electricity landscape, cheap energy costs, and acclaim by lawmakers. : electro_plug ::zap:
The #Winstone The mine in Rockdale, TX (pictured) could potentially produce over 500 Bitcoins per month! pic.twitter.com/XiVMlPBDX9
– Sophia Zaller (@sophiamzaller) July 9, 2021
Now that miners in Texas have halted Bitcoin mining, the blocks on the blockchain that record each transaction can take longer to be validated, causing the Bitcoin system to experience some hiccups.