The Texas Blockchain Council (TBC) and mining company Riot Platforms have filed a lawsuit against the Energy Information Administration (EIA) regarding their attempt to collect information on energy usage from cryptocurrency miners. The lawsuit, filed on February 22 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, alleges that the U.S. Department of Energy, EIA, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and their leadership are seeking an intrusive data collection from crypto miners. The lawsuit was filed in response to an EIA survey on the electricity usage of mining companies, with a deadline of February 23 under the threat of fines and penalties for non-compliance.
The TBC argues that the data collection is politically motivated, claiming that requiring mining firms to provide potentially contractual information to the U.S. government and making it public would exceed their authority. They specifically called out Senator Elizabeth Warren and the White House for orchestrating the EIA’s actions. The TBC has requested a temporary restraining order from the court to halt the data collection.
Texas Blockchain Council President Lee Bratcher stated, “This legal challenge is not about resisting an isolated request for proprietary information. It’s a defense against a broader pattern of regulatory overreach that threatens the very fabric of innovation and economic growth. If the government can do this to one industry, precedent is set for all other industries that fall out of favor with the administration in power.”
The Department of Energy has classified the data collection from crypto miners as an “emergency” request, part of an effort to create a “baseline snapshot” of their energy consumption nationwide. Critics of this action question the urgency of the data collection and believe that policymakers could use the information to launch politically motivated attacks on Bitcoin (BTC) and the wider crypto industry.
Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer, a supporter of pro-crypto legislation in the U.S. Congress, sent a letter to OMB Director Shalanda Young on February 20, questioning the motivation behind the EIA survey. Emmer suggested that the Biden administration was prioritizing policies related to combating climate change at the expense of crypto miners.
The TBC has announced that there will be a hearing on February 23 in Texas to address the lawsuit before the EIA deadline. Cointelegraph reached out to Senator Warren’s office for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
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