The U.S. Secretary of Energy urges the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to establish new regulations to expedite the process for large electricity consumers (such as artificial intelligence data centers and Bitcoin mining companies) to directly access the power grid.
On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright sent a letter to the independent agency FERC, which oversees interstate power grids, requesting an expedited review and standardized process for connecting large electricity consumers to high-voltage transmission systems (not just local power lines).
High-voltage transmission systems have a higher voltage capacity and are typically used for energy-intensive large industrial facilities.
Wright noted, "U.S. electricity demand is expected to grow at an extremely fast pace, largely due to the rapid expansion of large loads."
According to CleanSpark CEO S. Matthew Schultz, who posted on X platform on Friday, the new regulations will expedite the access process for "flexible electricity loads such as Bitcoin mining companies and data centers."
He stated, "The U.S. Department of Energy recognizes the positive role of flexible electricity in enhancing grid resilience."
Bitcoin miners require a significant amount of electricity to operate their mining machines, which are used to verify transactions and create new blocks. The more miners that participate, the higher the computing power, which helps protect the network.
The new regulations suggest that the expedited review process for large electricity consumers' access to the grid should be completed within 60 days, rather than taking years, as long as the applicant agrees to bear the necessary network upgrade costs and other related conditions.
Wright requested that FERC respond to his letter within the next six months, no later than April 30, 2026.
Bitcoin mining companies and artificial intelligence data centers are increasingly competing for low-cost, sustainable energy, with some opinions suggesting that this trend is likely to attract more institutional investors in the next decade.
Related: Bulls dominate as Bitcoin (BTC) options open interest surges to $63 billion
Original article: “U.S. Secretary Proposes to Expedite Grid Access for AI and Bitcoin Mining Companies”
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