The Sonic Impact of Converting Power Plants to Bitcoin Mining Facilities

A 2021 report by the Wall Street Journal revealed that multiple power plants were being repurposed for mining. But not for coal, gold or iron. Instead, these facilities were gearing up for mining Bitcoin.

The article mentioned idled and struggling coal plants in New York and Montana that were scaling up to mine for cryptocurrency. After all, fossil fuel plants have been shutting down as renewable energy rises in popularity, and Bitcoin Magazine recently reported that the Bitcoin mining business generated more than $2 billion in transaction fees and block rewards last March.

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Consequently, crypto-mining is gaining momentum, with the U.S. Energy Information Administration identifying 137 facilities as of February 2024.

However, a new report by Time tells the story of a Bitcoin mine in Granbury, Texas, that is tormenting the nearby residents. The article cites over 40 people in the area who claim their medical ailments, including heart palpitations, vertigo, migraines and panic attacks, are linked to the constant sound produced by the mine.

The situation dates back to 2021, when Constellation Energy signed an agreement to power a Bitcoin mining location at the Wolf Hollow II gas plant in Granbury. Time reported that the new site would feature 163 squat metal boxes that contain more than 30,000 computers. The computers began running two years ago, and energy company Marathon currently operates the mine.

The system requires an incredible amount of electricity, with a 2021 New York Times article reporting that creating Bitcoin consumes approximately 91 terawatt-hours of electricity per year.

As a result, the facility uses thousands of fans to cool the machines, the source of the noise. But Time reported that as the facility turned on more machines over the years, the noise has increased to as high as 91 decibels, about the output of a lawnmower. For context, OSHA requires ear protection for people working in environments that average at least 85 decibels of noise for eight working hours.

Marathon Digital Holdings told Time that, by the end of this year, it plans to convert 50% of the Granbury site’s air-cooled containers to immersion cooling, a method that involves submerging components in liquid.

Although a federal mandate that regulates noise technically exists, states, cities and counties can set their own limits. Texas deems noise “unreasonable” once it exceeds 85 decibels.

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