Some senators and House representatives of the United States have signed a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showing the benefits of cryptocurrency mining.
Many US lawmakers, including pro-Bitcoin Senator Cynthia Lummis and Representative Tom Emmer, wrote to EPA Administrator Michael Regan on Thursday, requesting that the government agency investigate the potential impact of crypto mining in order to strike a balance between innovation and environmental concerns.
Mining might have a “significant stabilizing influence on energy systems,” according to the group of 14 senators and members, who cited examples of mining operations that used flared gas and renewable energy sources.
“Digital assets and related mining activities are critical to the United States’ economic future,” the letter stated. “Preferring one technology over another, such as proof-of-work vs. proof-of-stake, might hinder innovation, erode future economic advantages, and reduce associated efficiencies.”
The lawmakers who signed the letter, in addition to Lummis and Emmer, were all Republicans, including Senators Bill Hagerty, Kevin Cramer, and Steve Daines.
The statement to EPA Administrator Regan was also authorized by House Representatives Patrick McHenry, Pete Sessions, Bill Posey, Bill Huizenga, Andy Barr, Anthony Gonzales, Brian Steil, William Timmons, and Ralph Norman.
The Republicans’ appeal to Regan contrasted with a bipartisan group of 22 members who wrote to the EPA in April. They expressed “severe concerns” about crypto companies operating in the United States, stating that they contributed to greenhouse gas emissions and did not follow the Clean Air Act or the Clean Water Act.
The April letter to Regan stated, “Cryptocurrency mining is poisoning our towns.” “The fast-growing cryptocurrency business must be held accountable in order to ensure that it runs in a sustainable and just manner that protects communities.”
In May, the Bitcoin Mining Council sent its own letter in response to the April letter, claiming that many of the politicians’ statements about mining were false.
Many environmental organizations, like as Greenpeace and the Sierra Club, later lobbied government agencies during the Biden administration to adopt innovative methods for crypto mining.
