Miami mayor: 90 per cent of bitcoin mining comes from ‚dirty energy‘
The US should solve the environmental problems with bitcoin mining by using clean energy to build mining centres, according to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
The majority of Bitcoin (BTC) is mined outside the United States using „dirty energy“, according to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
Suarez spoke about the Crypto Bank environmental impact of bitcoin mining on an episode of the Unconfirmed podcast with cryptocurrency journalist Laura Shin on 26 March. The mayor said the US should mine more Bitcoin for the sake of national security.
„Part of the problem with Bitcoin is that 90 per cent of it is not mined in the United States. 90 per cent of it is mined in countries with dirty energy. That’s why it’s considered a dirty activity,“ Suarez said.
He further argued that the US could improve this situation by making its renewable, clean energy supply available to bitcoin mining centres and data centres
„We get nuclear power, so we have clean energy. A clean energy supply that is basically unlimited,“ he said.
Miami could establish a bitcoin mining centre for the purpose of national security and environmental protection, Suarez said. He added:
„It would be beneficial for the crypto community if we did more mining in the US because we produce clean energy. That would change the narrative and that dynamic and also in the future there will be solar and other types of clean technology in this space. In my opinion, technology will make bitcoin mining more efficient.“
Suarez is known as a big proponent of the crypto industry in the US and supports several crypto initiatives in Miami. Among them are proposals to allow citizens in Miami to pay taxes and receive salaries in Bitcoin.
Bitcoin energy consumption has increased massively this year. Bitcoin has also reached new historic price levels in the process, so arguments about environmental problems with the cryptocurrency are coming up again. In mid-March, analysts at Bank of America argued that Bitcoin was an environmentally disastrous asset, claiming that the carbon footprint of one BTC was equivalent to that of 60 cars.
According to data from Digiconomist’s Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index, Bitcoin energy consumption reached another historic high on 28 March, with an estimated annual consumption of 89.9 TWh.