A cryptocurrency industry group and a company that conducts bitcoin mining operations at a Texas facility filed a lawsuit in the federal district court for the Western District of Texas asserting that the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the Office of Management and Budget violated the Paperwork Reduction Act and Administrative Procedure Act when EIA issued an information request for energy information from cryptocurrency mining companies. The plaintiffs alleged that EIA based its request for emergency approval of the information collection on a “facially absurd” contention that “public harm” would otherwise result due to potential strains on the electric grid that could result from increased energy consumption arising from mining activity and a “major cold snap.” The plaintiffs alleged that the emergency information collection request “was driven by forces outside of EIA”; they emphasized an excerpt from President Biden’s Executive Order 14067, “Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets,” which expressed the U.S.’s interest in ensuring that digital asset technologies operate in a way that “reduces negative climate impacts and environmental pollution.” The complaint also cited concerns raised by certain senators and House of Representatives members regarding cryptocurrency’s impacts on climate change.

Lawsuit brought by cryptocurrency industry plaintiffs to challenge the Energy Information Administration's emergency request for energy information from cryptocurrency mining companies.

Texas Blockchain Council v. Department of Energy

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Texas Blockchain Council v. Department of Energy - complaint

Filed

United States of America

Texas

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Kinetic energy of airflow transformed into useful energy, mostly electrical energy.

Oil is a combustible liquid fossil fuel composed mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring as crude oil and refined into petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene.

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Texas Blockchain Council v. Department of Energy - complaint

Risk

Renewable energy

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance