TechFlow reports that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plans to investigate energy consumption by cryptocurrency mining companies again, beginning with a request for input from industry participants. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) held a public webinar on Wednesday to collect feedback from miners and industry stakeholders.
In January, the EIA proposed a mandatory survey requiring nearly 500 cryptocurrency mining firms to provide detailed energy usage data, but the effort was stalled by litigation. The recent webinar attracted over 100 participants, with 10 speakers offering comments, including Bitcoin researcher Margot Paez and Lee Bratcher, president of the Texas Blockchain Council.
EIA official Stephen Harvey said the agency is currently developing a preliminary proposal, expected to be published in the Federal Register this quarter, followed by a 60-day comment period for industry feedback. Final approval rests with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
