A government survey aimed at collecting data on cryptocurrency mining companies’ electricity usage has been terminated following an agreement reached between the involved parties. The decision comes after the Texas Blockchain Council and bitcoin mining company Riot Platforms filed a lawsuit against the Department of Energy over the survey.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA), a statistical and analytical agency within the Department of Energy, had announced plans to survey crypto mining firms in February under an “emergency collection of data request.” However, following the lawsuit, the parties involved have agreed to halt the survey.
According to a court document filed on Friday, the agreement stipulates that the EIA will “destroy any information” it has already received and withdraw the survey. Additionally, the EIA will issue a new notice on the survey, allowing for public comments.
In response to the resolution, the EIA expressed hope for future collaboration with crypto mining companies. In an emailed statement to The Block, the EIA stated, “We’re hopeful we can work with companies in the cryptocurrency mining industry to provide the American public with a clear understanding of energy use from cryptocurrency mining operations in the United States, much in the same way we do with other industries.”
The Texas Blockchain Council and Riot Platforms welcomed the end of the emergency survey in a joint statement released on Friday. TCE President Lee Bratcher emphasized the importance of protecting sensitive business information and hailed the resolution as a victory for free enterprise.
“The administration engaged in a targeted misuse of government emergency authority to attack a legitimate industry for political purposes,” said Bratcher. “We are glad to now have an enforceable order that prevents them from doing so.”