Texas Blockchain Council and Riot Platforms Sue Energy Officials Over Crypto Mining Data

The Texas Blockchain Council (TBC) and mining company Riot Platforms have taken legal action against the US government’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) over its request for data on energy usage from crypto miners. The TBC and Riot filed a lawsuit in the US District Court, claiming that the EIA, along with the Department of Energy and the Office of Management and Budget, was seeking intrusive data collection from cryptocurrency miners. They argue that such a requirement to provide confidential information to the government and make it public would be an overreach of authority. The TBC accused Senator Elizabeth Warren and the White House of orchestrating the EIA’s actions and is seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the data collection.

Texas Blockchain Council President Lee Bratcher emphasized that the lawsuit is not just about resisting a single data request, but about defending against a pattern of regulatory overreach that could harm innovation and economic growth. The Department of Energy classified the data collection as an “emergency” measure intended to understand the energy consumption of miners across the country. Critics argue that this urgency is unfounded and that the information could be used for politically motivated attacks on Bitcoin and the crypto industry. Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer expressed concerns that the Biden administration was prioritizing climate change policies over the interests of crypto miners and asked for clarification on the motivations behind the survey.

The TBC has announced that a hearing on the lawsuit will take place on February 23, just before the EIA’s deadline for response. The organization alleges that the data collection is politically motivated and highlights potential risks to not just the crypto industry, but all industries that could fall out of favor with the current administration. The article reached out to Senator Warren’s office for comment but did not receive a response.