An environmental group is calling on a federal court in Texas to allow the U.S. Energy Information Administration to continue to collect data on how much energy cryptocurrency mining is pulling out of the electric grid.
Crypto mining companies are challenging a provisional EIA survey of the industry over concerns that the White House improperly authorized the agency to speed up its data collection process. Industry opponents say the agency, an independent arm of the Department of Energy, bypassed input from crypto mining companies and potentially jeopardized their proprietary information.
A judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas issued a temporary restraining order against EIA on Friday, pausing data collection from 82 companies for at least two weeks.
In a new friend of the court brief, the Sierra Club said rapid data collection on U.S. crypto mining operations is necessary for grid operators to plan ahead for periods of high energy demand, including from extreme weather.
the Sierra Club said rapid data collection
