Enegix staff works at the data center, which is one of the largest Bitcoin mines in the World in Ekibastus, Kazakhstan on January 3, 2023. Pennsylvania has attracted similar Bitcoin mining operations.Pennsylvania’s once freewheeling crypto landscape may soon become a little less welcoming to companies hoping to use its waste coal tax credits and data center sales tax exemptions to establish bitcoin mining operations.
Earlier this year, Democrats took over – by a one-seat majority – the state’s House of Representatives, which means they also took control of all House committees. Notably, that includes the Environmental Resources and Energy committee, which had previously overlooked the industry’s rapid rise.by political opponents as a climate change denier.
Cryptomining companies have not yet spoken out extensively about the new pieces of legislation. Kerri Langlais, chief strategy officer of TeraWulf, a company that uses Pennsylvania nuclear power to mine for Bitcoin, said in an email that the company could not comment on legislation that had not formally been introduced.