Bitcoin miners on ‘alert’ as storm forecast for US South… “Operations may be halted due to power strain”

Concerns are mounting that bitcoin (BTC) miners could face operational disruptions as forecasts call for a major winter storm to hit the southern United States.

According to crypto news outlet Cointelegraph on the 23rd (Korea time), US weather service AccuWeather warned that a “major winter storm” spanning roughly 1,800 miles from West Texas to the US Mid-Atlantic coast could bring ice and heavy snowfall to much of the South this weekend. The storm is estimated to cause power outages and transportation disruptions across at least 12 states, potentially affecting up to 60 million people.

Texas, home to a concentration of large-scale bitcoin mining facilities, also lies within the storm’s reach. In the past, bitcoin miners have voluntarily curtailed operations when the power grid is threatened by severe weather. During a major winter storm in Texas in 2022, local crypto miners reduced electricity use to help stabilize the grid.

Daniel Batten, a researcher specializing in bitcoin environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, said, “As climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events, bitcoin mining’s role in managing power load will become even more important,” adding, “Especially as the share of solar and wind rises, miners’ role as a flexible source of power demand will expand.”

Bitdeer said it has “standard operating procedures and an equipment maintenance framework in place to prepare for seasonal changes,” adding that it is “ready to cooperate to stabilize the grid if constraints emerge in the power supply.”