Lawmakers write to US officials about crypto energy usage information gathering

United States Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm were the recipients Feb. 6 of different missive connected the biology interaction of cryptocurrency mining. Eight Democratic lawmakers headed by Elizabeth Warren reached retired to the officials this time. 

The 8 lawmakers acknowledged erstwhile replies to authoritative correspondence asking astir the agencies’ accusation gathering authorization arsenic it relates to vigor utilized successful crypto mining. Now they person followed up with a bid of questions connected applicable substance relating to accusation gathering and the usage of the accusation they receive. They wrote:

“The urgency of the clime crisis, combined with the accelerated maturation of cryptomining successful the U.S., dictates a broad mandatory disclosure and information postulation regime. We truthful impulse your agencies to enactment unneurotic to code the deficiency of accusation astir cryptomining’s vigor usage and biology impacts and necessitate mandatory reporting of this accusation from cryptominers arsenic rapidly arsenic possible.”

The authors of the missive – Senate Banking Committee subordinate Warren, on with Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, Edward Markey and Jeff Merkley, arsenic good arsenic Representatives Jared Huffman, Rashida Tlaib, Katie Porter and Richard Durbin – besides asked astir Energy Department outreach for its Energy Star programme and imaginable method assistance from the section for communities considering hosting crypto miners. They gave the addressees until March 6 to respond.

Related: Bitcoin miners rebut claims made by US Democratic legislators to EPA administrator

Warren is simply a vociferous professional of the cryptocurrency manufacture who has besides written to U.S. Securities and Exchange commissioner Gary Gensler astir that agency’s authorization to modulate crypto and to acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu asking him to retreat guidance for banks connected handling crypto and articulation successful an interdepartmental regulatory effort.

There are a batch of concerns implicit the vigor usage and contamination caused by cryptomining. @SenWarren and I urged the admin to usage its authorities to marque definite companies are being transparent astir their emissions and precisely however overmuch vigor they use. https://t.co/1HXAjc5BgZ

— Rep. Jared Huffman (@RepHuffman) February 7, 2023

Regan has received different letters from lawmakers regarding cryptocurrency. After receiving a missive past twelvemonth captious of crypto signed by Huffman and 22 different lawmakers, not including Warren, helium was the recipient of a missive from 14 different Congress members expressing their support for the crypto industry.