A winter storm expected to bring ice and snow to much of the southern United States is likely to lead Bitcoin miners to pause their activities until the worst of the weather passes.
American forecasting service AccuWeather reported on Thursday that a “massive winter storm” could stretch 1,800 miles from western Texas to the Atlantic coast, impacting power supply, travel, and potentially affecting over 60 million individuals.
In previous storms that disrupted power grids, Bitcoin miners have reduced their power consumption. For instance, during a severe winter storm in Texas in 2022, miners opted to limit their operations.
“I think that with extreme weather events becoming more common in jurisdictions throughout the world, the need for Bitcoin mining load balancing, particularly as more solar and wind go onto grids, is only going to increase,” said Daniel Batten, a Bitcoin environmental researcher.
AccuWeather predicts the storm will affect tens of millions and likely result in power outages across multiple US states. Source: AccuWeather
Miners have the capability to assist in stabilizing power grids through load balancing by acting as quick, controllable demand responses. Miners often set up operations near renewable energy sources, ramping up during excess power availability and shutting down when demand increases.
A report from the Digital Assets Research Institute indicated that Bitcoin mining has helped Texas save approximately $18 billion by reducing the necessity for new gas power plants.
Bitdeer Assesses Minimal Disruption from the Storm
Bitdeer, based in Singapore and operating around 293,000 mining rigs globally, announced that it does not expect significant interruptions from the incoming storm.
“Storms typically do not directly impact our operations. We have standard operating procedures as the season changes, such as winterizing pipes. The site team monitors the weather, making our response proactive,” a Bitdeer representative informed Cointelegraph.
Furthermore, they noted that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas recognizes Bitcoin miners as “large flexible loads,” allowing them to adjust electricity use as required.
US Miners Dominate Global Hashrate
Miners are essential to the Bitcoin network, validating and recording transactions. The US possesses a substantial portion of global mining power, with Hashrate Index estimating it controls around 38% of all hashrate.
Notable US miners include Marathon Digital Holdings and Riot Platforms. According to the federal Energy Information Administration, there were over 137 cryptocurrency-mining facilities in the US as of 2024, primarily located in Texas, Georgia, and New York.
