The Texas Blockchain Council (TBC) and Riot Platforms, a mining firm, have taken legal action against the Energy Information Administration (EIA) over its attempt to collect data on energy usage from crypto 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, and their leadership are seeking an intrusive data collection from cryptocurrency miners. The TBC and Riot filed the lawsuit before the February 23 deadline to respond to an EIA survey on electricity usage by mining companies, which carried the threat of fines and penalties for non-compliance.
The TBC argues that the data collection is politically motivated and represents an overreach in authority, as it requires mining firms to provide potentially sensitive information to the U.S. government and make it public. The group specifically calls out Senator Elizabeth Warren and the White House for orchestrating the EIA’s actions. They have requested the court to approve a temporary restraining order to halt the data collection.
Texas Blockchain Council President Lee Bratcher states that the legal challenge is not just about resisting a single request for proprietary information, but rather about defending against a broader pattern of regulatory overreach that threatens innovation and economic growth. He emphasizes that if the government can do this to one industry, it sets a precedent for other industries that fall out of favor with the current administration.
The Department of Energy has labeled the collection of data from crypto miners as an “emergency” request in order to create a baseline understanding of the energy consumption of miners across the country. However, opponents of the Energy Department’s actions question the urgency of the data collection and suggest that policymakers may use the information to launch politically motivated attacks on Bitcoin (BTC) and the crypto industry.
Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer, known for supporting pro-crypto legislation in Congress, expressed skepticism about the motivation behind the EIA survey in a letter to OMB Director Shalanda Young on February 20. Emmer suggests that the Biden administration is prioritizing policies related to combating climate change at the expense of crypto miners.
The TBC has announced that a hearing will take place 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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