US Energy Secretary backs faster grid access that could benefit crypto miners

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright is pushing for regulations that would allow big electricity consumers like crypto miners and AI data centres easier access to the high-voltage power grid.

Although Wright did not explicitly mention crypto miners in his Oct. 23 letter directed to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), industry experts believe the proposed measures could significantly benefit mining operations by streamlining their path to power access.

Power demand across sectors like AI and crypto mining to grow  

In the letter, Wright pushes for the Commission to initiate a formal rulemaking process that would establish “efficient, timely, and non-discriminatory” procedures for large electricity loads, defined as facilities requiring more than 20 megawatts, to connect directly to the bulk transmission system. 

He argues that such loads are rapidly expanding, led in large part by the growth of AI infrastructure and large-scale data centres.

“United States electricity demand is expected to grow at an extraordinary pace,” Wright wrote, citing recent assessments by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) showing the fastest demand growth in two decades. 

While he points to several contributing factors, including home and vehicle electrification, the letter places particular emphasis on the urgent need to accommodate “increasing quantities of large commercial and industrial load.”

Wright maintains that asserting FERC’s jurisdiction over these interconnections “falls squarely within the Commission’s jurisdiction” and is “in the public’s interest.”

According to him, this change is essential to revitalising American industry and AI development, both of which “will require unprecedented and extraordinary quantities of electricity and substantial investment in the Nation’s interstate transmission system.”

Crypto miners could jack in within 60 days

The letter urges FERC to begin drafting rules that would enable large-scale electricity users to directly interconnect with the interstate transmission grid, bypassing the delays and limitations associated with connecting through local distribution lines.

Wright recommends that if a facility agrees to fund its own necessary network upgrades, connection reviews could be completed in as little as 60 days.

S. Matthew Schultz, CEO of Bitcoin mining firm CleanSpark, was quick to highlight the implications for the crypto mining sector.

In a post on X, Schultz described the letter as a “major signal that DOE recognizes the value of flexible demand in strengthening the grid.”

Crypto mining operations, which are capable of scaling their load dynamically in response to grid conditions, could be particularly well-positioned to benefit from an expedited interconnection process, according to Schultz.

Bitcoin miners require significant power to operate their mining rigs, which validate transactions and create new blocks.

The more miners participate, the higher the hashrate, which helps secure the network.

Trump supports crypto mining in the US

The changes would fit perfectly within the current administration’s pro-crypto agenda, which has increasingly embraced Bitcoin mining as part of its “Made in America” economic strategy.

Last year, President Trump hosted a private meeting with Bitcoin mining executives at Mar-a-Lago, after which he publicly stated his desire to see “all remaining Bitcoin mined, minted and made in the USA.”

Trump argued that domestic mining not only boosts economic activity and job creation but also helps the country achieve “energy dominance” by monetising surplus power and supporting grid stability.

The administration has also taken steps to deregulate the crypto sector, including a January 2025 executive order promoting American leadership in digital financial technologies, which reinforced the right to mine as a protected industrial activity.

However, the push to support energy-intensive operations like crypto mining is not without global controversy. 

In other jurisdictions, regulators have increasingly blamed the sector for placing undue strain on electricity supplies and infrastructure.

This has led to policy moves that contrast sharply with supportive calls within the US.

The post US Energy Secretary backs faster grid access that could benefit crypto miners appeared first on Invezz