EIA to Survey U.S. Crypto Miners' Energy Use Amid Controversy

Survey follows 'emergency' data collection request, citing Bitcoin's price rise; non-compliance could result in daily fines.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) will begin a survey next week to collect data on the energy use of cryptocurrency miners operating in the United States.
The survey was authorized by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on January 26 as an emergency collection of data request.
The EIA's initiative has drawn criticism from the mining community, with some participants calling on miners to resist the survey.
The EIA cited the recent 50% increase in Bitcoin's price as evidence for the emergency data collection request, arguing that higher prices incentivize more crypto mining activity, which in turn increases electricity consumption.
Failure to comply with the survey could result in criminal and civil penalties, including a daily fine of $10,633.