Texas bill to limit miners’ participation in grid programs halted in House committee

A bill proposed in the Texas state that aimed to restrict the participation of bitcoin miners in cost-saving grid programs has been prevented from progressing beyond a committee in the state House of Representatives. The bill, known as SB 1751, was passed through the state Senate in April with unanimous support. It would have limited the participation of bitcoin miners in demand response programs, which pay credits for turning off their operations when the power grid experiences a surge in demand, to just 10%. Additionally, the bill would have abolished tax abatements for the industry.

According to a statement made by lobbyist Dennis Porter, who was heavily involved in the bill’s process, the news that the bill would not pass the House was first tweeted. Porter stated that “this win ensures that energy innovation will continue to grow” in the United States and “highlights the power of the bitcoin community.” The statement further emphasized the importance of the campaign mounted against the bill by Porter’s organization, the Satoshi Action Fund, as well as industry groups Digital Chamber of Commerce and Texas Blockchain Council. The statement also noted that the House committee tasked with recommending the bill to the full legislature never voted on it.

Thanks to favorable regulation and cheap energy, Texas is one of the biggest mining hubs in the world.

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Edited by Nikhilesh De.