Bitcoin (BTC) Mining Is not the Local weather Villain Many Suppose: ESG Knowledgeable Says

Claims that Bitcoin mining wastes power or destabilizes grids are contradicted by college analysis and real-world grid knowledge.

Bitcoin mining has lengthy been portrayed as dangerous to the local weather. Many argued that it wastes huge quantities of power, strains energy grids, and undermines world local weather targets – claims which have turn into a standard a part of public debate.

Nevertheless, this narrative is more and more being challenged as extra knowledge and evaluation emerge. Claims that Bitcoin mining wastes power or destabilizes grids are contradicted by college analysis and real-world grid knowledge.

Debunking Bitcoin Mining Myths

ESG knowledgeable Daniel Batten has pushed again towards misconceptions round Bitcoin mining whereas saying that many claims should not supported by proof and persist attributable to outdated assumptions. In his evaluation of Bitcoin and power use, Batten explained that the concept Bitcoin makes use of massive quantities of power, water, or digital waste per transaction is inaccurate, whereas pointing to a number of peer-reviewed research and Cambridge College analysis which have proven BTC’s useful resource consumption isn’t pushed by transaction quantity.

Consequently, transaction exercise can scale with out growing power, water, or {hardware} use. He traces the origin of the “per transaction” narrative to a 2018 commentary by Alex de Vries, which he says was later debunked however broadly cited. That is what led to long-lasting misunderstandings.

On digital waste particularly, Batten cited 2025 Cambridge findings which present that earlier estimates overstated Bitcoin’s e-waste by greater than 1,200%. The researcher additionally disputed claims that Bitcoin mining destabilizes energy grids. As an alternative, he cited a rising physique of unbiased analysis that discovered that mining can as an alternative help grid stability attributable to its versatile and interruptible load profile, notably on grids with excessive ranges of wind and photo voltaic.

In the meantime, research from Duke College and different researchers have discovered that Bitcoin mining can present grid balancing and ancillary providers, a conclusion Batten says is supported by real-world knowledge from Texas’ ERCOT grid. In accordance with ERCOT information, BTC mining has contributed to near-daily grid stabilization by means of demand response and frequency regulation, together with throughout excessive occasions such because the July 2022 Texas heatwave, whereas just one delicate destabilizing incident has been documented.

Electrified, Grid-Pleasant, and Cheaper

Batten even went on to problem the declare that Bitcoin mining raises electrical energy costs for shoppers, whereas mentioning US and Texas electrical energy price knowledge between 2021 and 2024 that present no irregular enhance in areas with excessive mining exercise. He acknowledged that BTC mining can decrease system prices by monetizing extra renewable power, decreasing curtailment, deferring grid upgrades, and changing the necessity for added gasoline peaker vegetation.

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Circumstances in Norway and Kenya present that Bitcoin mining has been linked to decrease electrical energy costs. On broader power comparisons, Batten echoes Cambridge College’s view that evaluating BTC’s power use to whole nations is deceptive. He says local weather coverage is concentrated on altering how power is produced and managed, not merely slicing complete consumption.

He additional famous that BTC mining is absolutely electrified, extremely versatile, and able to decreasing methane emissions. Batten disputed claims that the crypto asset has an unusually excessive carbon footprint and indicated Cambridge estimates of about 39.8 MtCO2e in emissions, all from electrical energy use. Knowledge additionally revealed that Bitcoin mining has crossed a 50% sustainable power threshold globally.