A bunch of lawmakers in France is advocating for a nationwide assessment on how Bitcoin mining may also help tackle the nation’s persistent surplus in electrical energy manufacturing.
The proposal, submitted to the French Nationwide Meeting on June 12, urges the federal government to look at whether or not Bitcoin’s energy-intensive mining course of could possibly be harnessed to soak up extra energy, particularly from the nuclear vegetation that generate the majority of France’s electrical energy.
A translated model of their proposal reads:
“At a time when France is in search of to optimize the administration of its surplus electrical energy manufacturing—significantly from nuclear or renewable sources—Bitcoin mining affords distinctive technical traits.”
France depends closely on nuclear power, which at present provides over 70% of its energy, in accordance with EBSCO information.
Whereas this has positioned the nation as a pacesetter in clear power era, it additionally leads to frequent overproduction. Raphaël Bloch, co-founder of The Huge Whale, just lately identified that France misplaced almost €80 million in 2024 attributable to wasted electrical energy.
Contemplating this, the lawmakers argued that Bitcoin mining might have remodeled that surplus into financial worth.
France Bitcoin mining proposal
The lawmakers’ modification request requires an official report back to assess the circumstances beneath which Bitcoin mining may be built-in into the nationwide power system.
They identified that Bitcoin mining amenities might act as versatile power customers as their operations may be switched on and off shortly, situated close to energy stations, and scaled with out disrupting the grid.
In response to the lawmakers, this setup would assist stabilize power markets. It might additionally cut back the wear and tear and tear on nuclear vegetation by easing the necessity for fixed energy output changes.
Furthermore, outdated industrial websites could possibly be revived as mining facilities, whereas extra warmth from mining could possibly be recycled for close by cities or industries.
In addition they proposed constructing a regulated, low-carbon Bitcoin mining sector in France. This initiative, they argue, would align with the nation’s decarbonization targets and supply a brand new avenue for innovation and job creation.
International tendencies
France’s curiosity in Bitcoin mining displays a broader worldwide development of nations seeing BTC mining as a strategic software to steadiness power provide, cut back waste, and assist innovation within the digital economic system.
Earlier this yr, Belarus’ President directed his authorities to check Bitcoin mining as a means of consuming surplus energy.
Extra just lately, the nationwide crypto council in Pakistan introduced plans to allocate 2,000 megawatts of electrical energy to the nation’s BTC mining and AI information facilities.
Daniel Batten, a Bitcoin mining researcher, argued that these efforts replicate the vital position of Bitcoin mining’s distinctive kind of power consumption in making certain power affordability and abundance.
