“Local populaces may throw-up roadblocks because they don’t realize that Bitcoin miners are providing a net benefit to their local communities through job creation and monetizing wasted or excess electricity. Electricity is also misunderstood; it’s extremely expensive to store, and if electricity is not utilized or stored when it’s generated, it gets wasted — quite literally put into the earth.”
Moreover, the challenges that come along with using renewable energy are also evident. Harvey mentioned that the altitude of Gillette, Wyoming results in much thinner air quality. As such, the machines at Sabre56’s Bonepile facility can struggle with pulling in enough air required for cooling. Then comes the challenge of thermal pollution, as hot air is released into the atmosphere from the mining machines, which Cointelegraph witnessed firsthand at the Bonepile site in Wyoming. Given this, some mining companies are finding unique ways to reuse heat production. For instance, Genesis Digital AssetsHeat from mining machines is used to grow plants inside a greenhouse.
All things considered, the future of mining operations will likely rely on renewable sources. Margie Feng, head of marketing at Bitmain — a leading producer of crypto mining equipment — told Cointelegraph that the company has shifted gears and is currently working hard on promoting hydro-cooling technologies, as she believes that demands for this type of equipment will only grow in the future.
Feng added that Bitmain has found that almost a quarter of all Bitcoin miners use water to power their setups, while wind and nuclear are the second- and third-biggest contributions, respectively.