Lawmakers write to US officials about crypto energy usage information gathering
United States Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm were the recipients Feb. 6 of another letter on the environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining. Eight Democratic lawmakers headed by Elizabeth Warren reached out to the officials this time.
The eight lawmakers acknowledged previous replies to official correspondence asking about the agencies’ information gathering authority as it relates to energy used in crypto mining. Now they have followed up with a series of questions on practical matter relating to information gathering and the use of the information they receive. They wrote:
The authors of the letter – Senate Banking Committee member Warren, along with Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, Edward Markey and Jeff Merkley, as well as Representatives Jared Huffman, Rashida Tlaib, Katie Porter and Richard Durbin – also asked about Energy Department outreach for its Energy Star program and possible technical assistance from the department for communities considering hosting crypto miners. They gave the addressees until March 6 to respond.
Related: Bitcoin miners rebut claims made by US Democratic legislators to EPA administrator
Warren is a vociferous critic of the cryptocurrency industry who has also written to U.S. Securities and Exchange commissioner Gary Gensler about that agency’s authority to regulate crypto and to acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu asking him to withdraw guidance for banks on handling crypto and join in an interdepartmental regulatory effort.
There are a lot of concerns over the energy use and pollution caused by cryptomining. @SenWarren and I urged the admin to use its authorities to make sure companies are being transparent about
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