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EIA Enters Agreement Tied to Collection of Cryptocurrency Mining Data

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has entered into an agreement that stems from recent litigation related to EIA’s plan to collect data tied to the electricity consumption associated with cryptocurrency mining activity.

EIA on Feb. 1 detailed its plans to focus on evaluating the electricity consumption associated with cryptocurrency mining activity. “Given the dynamic and rapid growth of cryptocurrency mining activity in the United States, we will be conducting a mandatory survey focused on systematically evaluating the electricity consumption associated with cryptocurrency mining activity, which is required to better inform planning decisions and educate the public,” EIA said in an analysis posted on its website.

The Texas Blockchain Council alongside one of its members, Riot Platforms, on Feb. 22 initiated legal proceedings against EIA, “challenging an alleged unprecedented and illegal data collection demand against the bitcoin mining industry.”

A Texas judge on Feb. 23 granted a temporary restraining order in a proceeding involving the Energy Information Administration’s recently announced plan to collect data tied to the electricity consumption associated with cryptocurrency mining activity.

Under the March 1 agreement in principle, EIA has agree to destroy any information that it has already received in response to the EIA-862 Emergency Survey. If EIA receives additional information in response to the EIA-862 Emergency Survey, EIA will destroy that data. EIA will sequester and keep confidential any information it has received or will receive in response to the EIA-862 Emergency Survey until it is destroyed.

EIA will also publish in the Federal Register a new notice of a proposed collection of information that will withdraw and replace a February 9 Notice.

EIA will allow for submission of comments for 60 days, beginning on the date of publication of the new Federal Register notice.

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