Bitcoin Policy Institute recommends using Scotland's excess wind power for mining.
TechFlow: On November 14, according to CoinDesk, a report from the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) recommends that the UK leverage Bitcoin mining to absorb surplus wind power in Scotland, reducing curtailment payments made to wind farms.
The report notes that wind power development in Scotland has outpaced the construction of transmission infrastructure to England, leading grid operators to pay curtailment fees to wind farms while simultaneously requiring gas-fired power plants in other regions to increase output. It recommends that the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the National Energy System Operator assess the feasibility of deploying mining farms behind transmission bottlenecks.
The report states that the UK pays over £1 billion (approximately $1.32 billion) annually in wind curtailment fees, but this figure does not equal the exact savings that mining could yield; specific projects will still need to calculate consumer savings, emissions impacts, and infrastructure costs.
