US lawmakers appeal directly to 4 mining firms, requesting info on energy consumption
Turner Wright 14 hours ago US lawmakers appeal directly to 4 mining firms, requesting info on energy consumption Four members of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce said they were “deeply concerned” that proof-of-work mining could increase demand for fossil fuels. Four members of the United States House of Representatives from the Energy and Commerce Committee have demanded answers from four major crypto mining firms in regard to the potential effects of their energy consumption on the environment. In letters dated Wednesday to Core Scientific, Marathon Digital Holdings, Riot Blockchain and Stronghold Digital Mining, U.S. lawmakers Frank Pallone, Bobby Rush, Diana DeGette and Paul Tonko requested the companies provide information from 2021, including the energy consumption of their mining facilities, the source of that energy, what percentage came from renewable energy sources and how often the firms curtailed operations. The four members of the House committee also inquired as to the average cost per megawatt hour the companies spent mining crypto at each of their respective facilities. “Blockchain technology holds immense promise that may make our personal information more secure and economy more efficient,” said the lawmakers in a letter to Riot CEO Jason Les. “However, the energy consumption and hardware required