By Bitcoin 杂志 - 1 年前 - 阅读时间：4 分钟
为什么 Bitcoin Mining Is Taking Off In The Lone Star State
A combination of unique energy infrastructure, favorable policy and unique incentives is making Texas the Bitcoin mining capital of the U.S.
By its nature, Bitcoin mining is energy intensive and incentivizes the use of cheap energy to turn a profit. Bitcoin 矿工们已经开始 涌向德克萨斯州 由于目前加密货币挖矿的“金发姑娘”状况是由三个主要因素造成的：
The state’s energy infrastructure allows for access to cheap power from its deregulated power market;Its growing energy source mix from renewables, particularly wind energy; andIts supportive policy and backing by policymakersBitcoin Mining: Leaning On Texas’s Energy Infrastructure
而 Bitcoin mining has been criticized for being energy-intensive, 德克萨斯州州长Greg Abbott, among others, views Bitcoin mining as a solution to other related issues, such as taking advantage of untapped energy, including natural gas (such as surplus gas or associated gas) that would otherwise be flared or vented because of limited infrastructure to transport it to a destination.
来源这已经不是什么秘密， 多年石油和天然气公司一直在努力解决燃烧问题，不仅在德克萨斯州，而且在整个美国。与可以通过卡车或铁路运输的石油不同，天然气需要管道基础设施才能将其输送到市场。 如果钻井者没有办法运输天然气，无论是经济上还是因为没有可用的管道基础设施，他们就会燃烧（或燃烧）天然气，然后 这样做对环境的影响是巨大的.
相反， bitcoin miners can tap into this surplus gas, whether it’s the result of flared gas or bad netbacks, and divert it to generators, which then can convert the gas into electricity and then use it to power their sophisticated mining equipment.
“利用剩余天然气来运行加密采矿计算机银行的公司看到了双重好处——减少天然气燃烧的负面影响并减少碳足迹。” 据阿格斯媒体报道.
According to research from Crusoe Energy Systems, one of the largest Bitcoin miners in the U.S., the process reduces the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by about 63% compared to flaring, Argus Media reported. This opportunity to repurpose otherwise stranded energy and monetize it has not only been attractive to Bitcoin miners, but also to oil and gas companies to increase returns on their production while also complying with 环境、社会和治理 (ESG) 倡议——更具体地说，是减少碳足迹的“E”部分。
Regardless of the energy source for the Bitcoin miner, be it the gas that would otherwise be flared or energy sourced by renewables, the Bitcoin miner essentially behaves like a power plant by purchasing power at an agreed-upon, fixed price and owning the ability to sell the power back to the grid.
与阿博特认为加密货币挖矿为建设电力基础设施和生产更多能源提供经济激励的立场相反，他的反对者认为，这样做也会给本已不稳定的电网带来更大的需求和压力。
然而，阿博特的立场依赖于这样的信念：如果发生恶劣天气事件，例如 2021 年 XNUMX 月冬季风暴乌里，这导致电力需求大幅激增，矿工将被迫在接到命令时暂停运营。 换句话说，当需求激增时，矿工将停止运营并将电力返回电网。 这一概念不仅得到基本的人道主义原则、道德和伦理的支持，规定权力应该用于拯救人类的生命，而且也得到市场本身动力的支持。 如果电力需求激增（就像冬季风暴乌里期间那样），现货电价就会上涨（有时会大幅上涨），因此矿工将受到经济激励，将电力卖回电网，而不是消耗电力。
对于矿工来说，好处不仅在于他们能够获得廉价电力，还在于他们可以灵活地将电力返回电网。 对于德克萨斯州来说，尤其是 ERCOT作为该州的电力监管机构，矿工能够在高峰需求期间“关闭”，从而无需打开效率较低的高峰需求发电厂，从而使 ERCOT 能够更有效地稳定电网。
'干净的' Bitcoin?
据 德州区块链委员会, there are at least 27 mining operations in the state with more on the way. This growth is not only attributable to the points discussed above but also to the larger crackdown on bitcoin mining abroad, particularly in China, 迫使许多矿工逃往美国
值得注意的是，中国严重依赖煤炭等“肮脏”能源，而煤炭生产 二氧化碳排放量大约是天然气的两倍. Meanwhile, Texas is home to “cleaner” sources such as natural gas and wind. Moreover, within the U.S., Texas is a leader in the nation’s wind-powered electricity generation, comprising approximately 26% of the nation’s total net wind generation.
（来源：国际能源署） （来源：ERCOT 情况说明书，2022 年 XNUMX 月）（来源：环境影响评估）
Altogether, these factors have incentivized and attracted Bitcoin miners to Texas with the Lone Star State becoming the 第四高算力 (the measure of how much power is being supplied to the Bitcoin network) of any state, at approximately 14%.
Bitcoin Miners Call Texas Home, For Now
从 罗克代尔，德克萨斯州， home to the two biggest Bitcoin mining companies in the world, to the first city in the U.S. to mine Bitcoin， 至 沃思堡, Texas, the Lone Star State is welcoming the Bitcoin mining industry with open arms.
这是 Ryan Dusek 和 Cooper Ligon 的客座文章。 所表达的意见完全是他们自己的，并不一定反映 BTC Inc 或 Bitcoin 杂志.
原始来源： Bitcoin 杂志