Judge Blocks US Effort to Track Bitcoin Miners’ Energy Use

A Texas judge has mandated a restraining order which is meant to prevent the DOE from collecting data on the amount of energy used by bitcoin miners. DOE aimed to collect data from a survey and, by mentioning the development of new energy technology, to assure demands rise.

The miners of bitcoin filed a lawsuit, stating that the survey might be too costly and time consuming and if implemented it can disclose the confidential business information. The judge confirmed the workers’ concerns and wondered if the DOE was really accurate at suggesting that the survey will be completed in no more than 30 minutes.

The judge told the miners that it looked quite possible they might win their case even if the trial should occur. Instead, he held that the DOE erred in not providing insufficient rationale for the use of emergency measures in acquiring the data, and that the survey would likely be decided to be an exorbitant burden placed upon the miners.

This decision poses a challenge before the DOE, as it attempts to appraise the impact of bitcoin mining on the electricity grid of the United States. This may involve the commission to take steps for initiating the formal rulemaking process, which in turn, would entail dealing with long and complex procedures.

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