Texan Activists To Bitcoin Miners: Don’t Mess with Texas’ Water and Electricity

Corsicana, TX (October 27, 2023) — In a dynamic week of motion, Greenpeace USA, the Texas Coalition In opposition to Cryptomining, and Navarro County residents confronted Riot Platforms Bitcoin mining operations in Texas. The week of motion make clear Riot Platform’s impending launch of the world’s largest Bitcoin mining operation in Corsicana, Texas. This improvement threatens to exacerbate Texas’ already burdened power grid and poses substantial environmental dangers.

Jackie Sawicky, Founding father of the Texas Coalition In opposition to Cryptomining, stated: “Bitcoin proof-of-waste ‘miners’ are losing water, driving up our electrical energy payments, getting tax breaks, abatements, and deeply discounted power. They receives a commission to close down as soon as the grid has destabilized, then they resell that low-cost power at a premium. Why on earth ought to each Texan choose up the tab for a digital on line casino that hardly any of us gamble in?”

Riot Platforms’ selection of Corsicana, Texas, as the location for his or her colossal Bitcoin mine is pushed by a number of components, together with proximity to the Navarro switch, privileged entry to already strained water sources, lenient laws, cost-effective electrical energy, and attractive incentives supplied by the Electrical Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) by means of its Demand and Reserve Response packages. By means of its participation in Demand Response, Riot is ready to promote its deeply discounted power again to Texans at a premium in occasions when electrical energy demand is excessive. This presents Riot substantial monetary rewards on the expense of Texas ratepayers. This system has helped flip Texas right into a hub for energy-intensive Bitcoin mining operations whereas Texans are urged to preserve power and should deal with sky-high electrical energy payments.

Joshua Archer, Greenpeace USA Bitcoin Marketing campaign Lead stated: “We stand in solidarity with the Texans who’re bravely elevating their voices in opposition to Riot Platforms’ exploitation of their communities. This week of motion embodies our collective dedication to fight Bitcoin’s harmful impression on electrical energy grids, water sources, and the worldwide local weather.”

The protest on Wednesday lasted two hours in entrance of what would be the world’s largest Bitcoin mine owned by Riot Platforms. A number of residents who had been driving by engaged with protesters and supported the trigger.  Pictures of the week obtainable here.

Kimberlee Walter, Founding father of Stand Up for Change: Navarro County stated: “This week of motion has offered a vital platform for elevating consciousness and informing my fellow Navarro County residents in regards to the absolute devastation the presence of Riot Platforms’ Bitcoin mining operation may have on all of us.”

Native politicians in Navarro County have been lower than clear in regards to the Bitcoin mining actions of their neighborhood, rejecting requests for an official City Corridor assembly to handle issues raised by activists.

These issues embody:

• Extreme electrical energy consumption on an already careworn and unstable grid;
• Larger electrical energy payments for Texas ratepayers;
• Extreme water utilization, in drought-prone Texas;
• Noise air pollution; and
• Further fossil gasoline use at a time once we want speedy progress on emissions discount.

The week of motion included an unofficial City Corridor assembly on Tuesday hosted by the Texas Coalition In opposition to Cryptomining (TCAC). Audio system included Ed Hirs, an power fellow on the College of Houston; Adrian Shelley, the Texas workplace director of Public Citizen; and Jackie Sawicky from TCAC. It was moderated by Kimberlee Walter. Neighborhood members, officers from close by districts, and journalists attended. For a recording of the City Corridor assembly please click here. 

For a extra in-depth look into Riot Platforms, the corporate behind the world’s largest Bitcoin mine, you may learn a current report put out by Greenpeace USA here.

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Contact: Gujari Singh, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, [email protected], 631-404-9977

Greenpeace USA is a part of a worldwide community of impartial campaigning organizations that use peaceable protest and artistic communication to reveal world environmental issues and promote options which might be important to a inexperienced and peaceable future. Greenpeace USA is dedicated to remodeling the nation’s unjust social, environmental, and financial methods from the bottom as much as deal with the local weather disaster, advance racial justice, and construct an economic system that places folks first. Be taught extra at www.greenpeace.org/usa.