美國(guó)能源資訊管理局 (EIA) 對(duì)用電量數(shù)據(jù)的強(qiáng)制性緊急調(diào)查是針對(duì)比特幣挖礦、加密貨幣和美國(guó)主導(dǎo)的創(chuàng)新的政治動(dòng)機(jī)的最新舉措。 我們認(rèn)為這應(yīng)該引起所有依賴資料中心作為其營(yíng)運(yùn)一部分的行業(yè)的關(guān)注。
Lee Bratcher 是德州區(qū)塊鏈委員會(huì)的董事會(huì)成員兼主席。 Perianne Boring 是數(shù)位商會(huì)的創(chuàng)辦人兼執(zhí)行長(zhǎng)。
能源部和 EIA 沒有把重點(diǎn)放在改善老化的電力基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施和努力確保電網(wǎng)穩(wěn)定上，而是優(yōu)先考慮採(cǎi)取前所未有的措施，出於政治目的針對(duì)私營(yíng)企業(yè)。 這項(xiàng)行動(dòng)是濫用權(quán)力，以進(jìn)一步實(shí)現(xiàn)拜登政府「限製或消除」美國(guó)比特幣礦商的公共目標(biāo)，同時(shí)又對(duì)美國(guó)礦商對(duì)再生資源的利用和獨(dú)特靈活的運(yùn)作一無所知。
另請(qǐng)參閱：美國(guó)政府似乎正在關(guān)閉比特幣挖礦| 觀點(diǎn)
該調(diào)查要求提供的資訊超出了環(huán)境影響評(píng)估的典型要求。 幾十年來，EIA 一直作為能源部 (DOE) 內(nèi)的一個(gè)非政治資訊收集機(jī)構(gòu)來運(yùn)作。 如果這次調(diào)查與先前的調(diào)查一致，就沒有理由驚慌。
然而，這項(xiàng)調(diào)查專門針對(duì)比特幣礦工，並要求提供私人信息，例如與礦工簽署購(gòu)電協(xié)議的能源公司的名稱。 擔(dān)心拜登政府向這些能源供應(yīng)商施加壓力，要求他們停止與比特幣礦商的業(yè)務(wù)，這並不是一個(gè)邏輯上的飛躍。
由於比特幣礦工能夠根據(jù)電網(wǎng)狀況快速調(diào)整資料中心的用電量，因此他們的營(yíng)運(yùn)是全國(guó)最靈活、反應(yīng)最靈敏的電力負(fù)載。 眾所周知，它們?yōu)樗谏鐓^(qū)提供了關(guān)鍵的電網(wǎng)穩(wěn)定效益。
這些能力在德克薩斯州最近的寒冷天氣中得到了充分展示，EIA 大膽地引用了這一點(diǎn)來證明這一誤導(dǎo)性措施的合理性。 如果這種緊急行動(dòng)的既定理由——擔(dān)心資料中心可能使電網(wǎng)超載——是可信的，那麼金融機(jī)構(gòu)和社交媒體公司等其他行業(yè)現(xiàn)在也應(yīng)該注意到這種令人不安的新策略。
In ERCOT, which operates Texas's electrical grid, and many other independent system operators (ISOs) across the country, prices are the best proxy for grid stress. There are other proxies such as physical responsive capability (PRC), but prices are a better measure for most situations. For that reason, in order to prevent swings in prices and create more challenging grid conditions, an optimal environment is one in which the price does not swing wildly up and down. But that is traditionally what happens (see the graph below from last year’s Winter Storm Elliot).
Bitcoin miners are the economically perfect consumers of electricity. That is not to say that bitcoin miners will consume electricity in an altruistic way, but rather that bitcoin miners are so sensitive to the price of power that they are economically incentivized to curtail their consumption when power prices rise past their breakeven (current breakeven for most miners ranges between $100 and $200 per megawatts/hour, with some exceptions for miners with hosting contracts that have uptime requirements).
See also: The Blocksize Wars Revisited: Why Bitcoin's 'Civil War' Still Matters
That means mining operations will run when prices are below their breakeven and turn off when prices are above it.
Bitcoin miners comprise one of the most transparent industries in the world, (e.g., EIA Website, Hashrate Index, Cambridge University, Texas A&M, ERCOT Data). Moreover, each data center’s development entails exhaustive investment, administrative, procurement and construction processes before they can begin operations. These facts belie the purported justification for this “emergency”mandate.
This is an attack against legitimate American businesses with the administration feigning an emergency to score political points. The White House has been clear that they desire to “to limit or eliminate” bitcoin miners from operating in the United States. Although the Bitcoin network is resilient against potential bans, the administration is seeking to make the lives of bitcoin miners, their employees and local communities too difficult to bear operating in the United States. This is deeply concerning.
It should be of concern to any industry in the United States that consumes energy. If an administration has political points to score by fabricating a crisis to justify removing access to the electricity, then an entire industry can be taken down on a whim.
We strongly believe EIA has overstepped its authority in issuing this emergency mandate. We urge the Biden administration to reconsider this course of action. Until that time, the industry will be pursuing all legal resources available to us.
