A group of Bitcoin Miners are suing the Biden administration over its request for energy consumption data from the industry. According to the mining company and trade group, the demand by the Biden administration could harm businesses by forcing them to divulge confidential and sensitive information.
The Texas Blockchain Council and mining company Riot Platforms went to a Texas federal court to request to block this survey handed out by the administration. The U.S. Department of Energy’s mandatory survey of miners was launched this month. The EIA’s survey focuses on the changing power demand for cryptocurrency mining. Furthermore, it aims to identify parts of the nation where mining growth is concentrated and the electricity sources used for the operations.
The plaintiffs say in the lawsuit that the Bitcoin mines improve reliability since they can be quickly shut down. Thus, they shouldn’t be subject to concern by the EIA. Furthermore, this ability to shut down mines offsets spikes in energy demand during severe weather.
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Furthermore, the Bitcoin Miners say that the survey failed to give enough public notice before being issued. Thus, they request a permanent injunction prohibiting EIA from requesting the data without following the law first. “This is a case about sloppy government process, contrived and self-inflicted urgency, and invasive government data collection,” the plaintiffs state.
The EIA and Biden administration have yet to comment on the new lawsuit by the Bitcoin miners and trade group.