Energy Demand by Cryptomining Too Heavy for Chelan County, Wash.

Large energy consumption has been one of the several problems posed by cryptocurrency mining, both for those involved and for those providing power for the operation. Chelan County in Washington has seen this problem firsthand and is now dealing with it as best it can, according to TheMerkle.

Because the state is a haven for renewable energy, particularly hydropower, it has attracted a lot of cryptominers to settle down within its borders and conduct operations. And these operations have greatly disrupted the county’s quiet way of life, so much so that the rural electric utilities called for a hearing to discuss what best to do with the booming crypto farms popping up in the state like mushrooms.

The meeting took place two weeks ago but only made headlines recently. Public interest regarding the matter had been so high that a second room had to be opened so the attendees could witness live what exactly was unfolding.

The crypto boom in Chelan County resulted in the state transforming from apple farms and wheat fields to state-of-the-art warehouses and repurposed containers housing computers that are mining away day in and day out. The renewable energy provided by the state’s hydropower plant provides miners with cheaper energy costs while consuming large amounts of power.

While this is great for the crypto market, it resulted in a complicated headache for the Public Utility Districts (PUD). Chelan County PUD general manager Steve Wright said the problem they’re having is something they have no prior experience with.

The county’s normal annual power demand is estimated to grow by about 4 megawatts, enough to light 2,250 homes within its area and accommodate new arrivals of residents and expansions of businesses.

But when crypto enthusiasts first set up shop in January 2017, miners requested a dumbfounding 210 megawatts to power their operations. To put in perspective, that’s as much power as 73,000 residents are consuming combined. And since it’s a public service, the PUD staff is compelled to consider the ridiculous energy inquiry.

All three of the county’s public utilities are figuring out a way to handle this abrupt and exponential growth. One possible solution is to limit the energy provisions of the mining companies, which, in turn, would throttle their growth.

All of these is just dealing with those legally cooperating with the PUDs. There are other, small-scale issues as well. On average, utility crews of Chelan county discover rogue operators thrice a week running computers that consume power far too heavy to be sustained by electrical grids of residential areas. It has even gotten to a point where shutting down these illegal miners resulted in violence that forced Wenatchee headquarters to install security cameras and bulletproof glass.