The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is gearing up to retry its efforts to survey crypto mining companies about their energy usage after facing legal challenges. This time around, the department is seeking input from industry participants before moving forward with the survey.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA), a federal agency within the DOE, held a public webinar to gather feedback from interested parties, including crypto miners and industry members, on how the survey should be conducted. The goal is to create a well-crafted survey ahead of a planned rulemaking proposal that will be published in the Federal Register.
In January, the agency proposed a mandatory survey for nearly 500 identified commercial crypto miners, requiring them to provide detailed data on their energy consumption or face penalties. This proposal, which was authorized as an emergency data collection request by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), was met with criticism from industry players like Marty Bent, who described it as “Orwellian” and expressed concerns about privacy.
Following backlash and a lawsuit from the Texas Blockchain Council (TBC) and Riot Platforms, the EIA decided to temporarily suspend the survey in February. Now, the agency is revisiting the survey with input from industry stakeholders.
During a recent webinar, over 100 participants, including crypto miners, industry representatives, and researchers, shared their perspectives on the survey. Suggestions were made to involve traditional data centers in the survey, not just crypto-focused ones, to ensure a comprehensive assessment of energy usage in the industry.
Stephen Harvey, an official with the EIA, mentioned that the agency is working on a preliminary proposal that will be open for public comment for 60 days once published in the Federal Register. Feedback from stakeholders will be considered, and adjustments will be made based on the information received. The final proposal will then undergo a 30-day review before a decision is made by the OMB on whether the survey can proceed.
Overall, the DOE’s efforts to gather data on energy consumption in the crypto mining industry have faced challenges, but the department is committed to engaging with industry participants to develop a survey that is fair and comprehensive. By incorporating feedback from stakeholders, the survey aims to provide valuable insights into the energy usage of both crypto and traditional data centers.